Trading on

Target
Fowlded in 1807, John W,ley & Sons IS the oldest indepel\d~nt publish-
i"ll company in the United St~t"", With offic"" in North Anwnca, "urope,
lIustmba, and IIsia, Wil~y IS !clobally committcd to developing and market·
ing pri"t and ele<:trunic produets and se,,,.ic..,, for our CUSlOln,.,.,.' prof,.s-
siunal and personal knuwledge and u"dersW."ding_
The Will'Y Trading ... Iies fea!UrI'S b""ks by trarlers wh" have suf\/iwd
UII' markel's "wr_ch:mging temperament "II<I I~we p,U/;pered-sollle loy
reinventIng system", oth~rs by getting back to basics. Whether a no,icp
t,"",ler, profcssiolUll , or somewhere i,,·b{'{ w e~n, these books will pro,ide
the ad,';ee and strnt<1(i<'S ne~ded IU prosper today and w ei] into the future,
FUT aIi", of a'-ailable "tles, ,isrt OUT web ~'Ie al www .lI.lIe).•1nano:-e.(.<) ... _
Trading on
Target
How to C ultivate a Willner 's
Slate of Mind

!\ORIt:N N t: 'l' OfiIlH!Ulo:

@
WILEY
J.)hn Wiley & S<)fIS, Inc.
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 Contents I
I "" .... " .. rd
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.\"1

\" """wi I'd gnu' III .. '<III

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( ;II\I"n:H 19 Th e 1I1,lt K r H'",' ,"

"'H'r 1\ Slt .... lt·hlng .. nd t :xp .. ndlng \ 'nunlel' .. "

.. Trad.'r .45

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 ,,.
1: 11 \I''I'I·: M 211 'hading I h,' 'I,,,,,, ..
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1:11 '!"'I'Ut :10 111'111 ,,, F ...·.. " '",
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ell \I'·....:tt :12 T .. p p .. '·r"I"nIl'n.·.. 201

1:11 \I"n:K :1:1 'rh ... Rile "r 1'..... H.';Ce roo" a
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Ind .. ,
 Foreword I

drienne has done it ~in! In her latest publishc<l volum", Tmdi"l1

A "" Ta '"9"1, she presen!S a down·h. . ear\!" easy-lv-read co",,,,,,n sen"",

l>ook for the practicallr:>der in any ",arket. Lean' about the .... al·li f"
fru:et.. of lrarllng dl<cil,\ine, as Adri"tme takes yuur hand ",,<I leads yo"
through fl,e "o"1I'Iimes trid<y m"Chani<;s or self.,ji,;cipline and .. elkant",L
There are Ie"' authors in the area of help for traders who write wilh
Adrienne's clarity. The 'n1ere5iUlg trung is that when you read her books
you ""onde,,, -h"w docs sbc know I'm ha>ing these problemsT Those
Ih"ughls ilud r.... hngs (hal )'O\"'e l>een "aguely aWMe of art' now brought
;u\o focus as i f a fog has t>t"." lil'tet:l . ruu cau noW de/in., and loop..r"lIy
anticirmte Ihe way yuu will reac.! to pric.e actio" .
Adrienne and Thave h,... " rrie"d~ fnr some time. WI' ha,'" colbbomted
at seminars and ",,,binars so r know of her dedication w traders every-
where. The answers to the ·"'hats" and ·whys· of market discipline arc
explained i" plain, precisc l"ngua,lle which should be easily unde",tood by
old·ti mers alld II"W [rodeffl alike .
This book gin-s you t he nuts and bolts of what you ,,,...><.1 to b-t><.:mne a
I'sy~hologi cally and ell\,ltionally mature t'3(ler. The 1es.'IO'I.~ are taKen fm,n
the lives of real traders. traders wh" ha,,1' struggll'd through the very thing.~
that may be holding you back.
Adrienne pulls it all togethe" the attitudes, p<-'recptions, and Insoghts
you will nCftl to reach the heights of trading succ ..ss. She will also Ili>'c
you solutions to handle lIw oldt""St psychological alld ... [(("'iolla] hang· ups
cO"'''' ollly found a"'ong [h""", who ;).spi,,! (;> succ~...><.1 in tratllng.
In re>iewing my past ,,'Iyears of trading, r rou",r Adrienne's Tmd;"IJ
"" Ta 'yel a refreshing, informative, :md re",anling worK.

JUE Russ
TraMr, Author, S]){,aker. ~t enlor
THldii'IJ Rdtu,a(,,"s

"
 Preface

t always surprises me fllm, alter 21 YI'''''' in the bush\"5.~ of working on

I trader discipline, I would have more to ,,-rile abou!. ilUl traders never
rail mp with the material they offer. Ewn if some of the m(onnaun"
has bN'n said before in anolher way, w'ry oft"ro this ""wapproach will be
Defl('ficial for a new und .. ffitandinll.
On a larger ""Ie, wh" ...,w yOIl are in your ability (IS a (rader, there
is always roo," to grow. Ttl" ... is an ottl adage -When the SIlicic", is .... ady.
Ih .. tea<;he, arrives. · \\~\a( ! have found to he true is thm, ·Whe" th" s!O,,!ent
is ready. he will hear the words from a teacher in a way tMt he IH's ne'-e.
heard them b<>fo ...... There have been many I,m"" when a client will write to
me and say, -My tr-ddilllllmpf<l"cd dramatIcally after we workC<! together,
but that aMide you/US! wrotc took It to n new Ie,'''!."
r'm/;"!) 0" TnllJ<;/ is abou, 'J"ercurniug the selr.jnlllOll<-'{llir',il.aliuns
thai keep traders frun, th~ next level of ~ucces.~ . With ead, trader who I
have wurked with privately, I have gruwn In my skills as a trade r's sue,
cess coach. These skills have le<lto new illSighlS, ",·!tieh are the basis of
this book
The way trade", approach Ih~ markcts has chan,o;e<I o'-cr thc yea", oc.-
cause of ncw w<:hnolol!Y, Also, trade", a ..... now more inchned 10 acccpt
the psYChology of trading wilhout feeling thrcatcrwd. Fur U'is .... a<ron, in
this bouk J can bf. more straightforwanl in how I pre..,,,, thl~ malerial.
One of the main differences in the way traders think ahout the psy·
chology of trading, from when J first started my business, is that traders
are more inclined to want to seek out whatever it takes to improve them-
selves PIIyc hologically Thcy r",,1 comfortablc talking about thdr iss""" 10
Ihd .. [l""rs as w<'ll as to me .
Traders ha.·c luld me lhal .... adi"! abo,,1 the .... al lifc expcrienc~'8 of
udwr traders who h""c u.,ercome their l..~ues, makes them feel Uke they
can fru;e their own. llaving spe<:iftc exe.-.;ises-that are included in this
"'"'-g,,''''' traders a vehide for starting to improve their performances.
It also makes traders aware of those areas where they need help
I have ~llioye<l the joumcy of assisting marry traders to rcad' high
I,,,'cls uf SueC""" and will con[.in".- (u do su. Wclcun'e al>oanJ.

"
 Acknowledgments

SP",'iU' Ihan ks IU all of Ih~ traders who contributed ll'~ir Siories SO

A Ihat everyone cuuld lean, (wm their 1"""01\.• .

Another sp...::ia1 t!~~"k..I" the ("lIowing maga>.ines, newslel\i!rs,
and web sites thai havp published artlck'S and inter.iews' SFO Magaz;"",
Tech Talk wilh Do" Fialoux, Tedmical Alia/ysis oj S/()(:ks a ",} Commodi -
fics Maya.:!"". T>.,uJcrs 1V00td Magazi"c. TmdillIJ 0" Ta'ge! j\'c~,'slellc~',
and Yo",. Tmd illl} Edge Mogozi"e.

\111
 About the AuthOl'

d ri ~ n n~
Tog hrale, Trader's Succ",,", Coach, i~ an jll'enlatiunally

A recogni2ffl authority in the field of hutmm d~,'d<'Il"wnt and a ",,,sler

praCTitioner of Neu"~Li"guL"'.k Programming (NLP) for the tI"ar'~iaJ
and bl1'liness communities She is the founder and president of Tmdil<g ""
Tarycr and E,wic/ij"!1 Life Semina,·s, Iwo companies dedicatPd to help-
mg traders. sales pco"le. and other tu)!.h aducwJ'S to dramatically inc[,(,age
profits and "uec<"", lfl all aJl'as of lik Using h.. , 21 yean< of sludy in the
sci""" .. of Moo,-ling P.xCl'II,·nce/NLP and "u"'cruu~ other fonllS of IlSyd,o-
logic.al de\'elopnwnl, Tughraie has helped her die"L~ (u push through their
self.j,npvsed (imitali",\." 10 extraordinary and docUlnemM new I....·..l. of
success
Adrienne's aMid"" and inte",iews have bee" featured in n,ost of the
major /i,,"nclal trad .. magazines and n"...-spare'" tllroul(hout Ihe world.
She has alllho ....-d Gel A lif~: Tn'O''1<Fe /J ;a'"y j'J<' en.. I;,,!) II'mU/' 011</
I/o/,pi<wss. "1'1", W;I",;,,!) f:dye2: Tmd",s' ""d 1>I<-.;st()lS· i'sydw'O!)i ..ol
rood, ;n 0 Book, "1'I1e Wi",,; "y Edye J: Tmdels ' wid /,,,,,,stOIS ' <ooch i/o!J
10 En-dlm."". Th~ l\'i'''';IlI) Edye 4: Tmd,,,..' · "'''' /''''es/ols' GreawI"
S,wcess, nudeys' Secrets eu-author('(/ ,,·;th Murray Ruggiero and "1'Iw
1I'i/"';"9 Edge. I/ow /0 Usc You,' /'crsOll"/ I'syclw/ogica/ /'o",er ill
T,.ad ;>11) olld I",:e.lilll) w'lh Jake Ikn,,;tein.
Atirienne's public sen,inalS anti private ~o"nst"lirlg, as wdl (\.S her tek~
vision appearanct"S arid keynote add....,..",,"S a~ nll\ior industry conr... en~~"S,
have achieved a wide level or l"e<;ognitio/\ nnd popularily.
 .·\111 I

Obstacles to
Becoming a
Top Trader
You r success will reji,!ct Ow /!is/cry of your life,
Ul!les~ you tmm;jo17l/lww you il/lmpret /Ill! b'wrie~
oj I/O«'" 1I<1sl.
 ( . II\PIIIII

Mirl'OI', Mirl'or

ake a good look i,,!o Il'e ",iITor of your life. What do you sa-' If

T y"u are willing 10 I""k def'ply, you will Ond Ihe ,,"stade to adlil'\'_
ing greater suc.~es... This ol~<tade l< \"0". While yo" spend your lime
crunching oul indicators and plotting out monpy managpment, you also
,wed 10 look inlO the other c.hoic..,. you make in your da,ly life, twcause
In""" choic~s arc.."t how you mak~ t",ding de<:i",ons,
Ik'" ar~ some of Ihe d,oic.'!! Y"u nmk~ Ihat most ckarly r~H.-c( the
"roble,n" ill yo"r t cadi"g.

( ;UOOSn:fi IIOW "01, un::

\ 'otH F.\'\'IKO\'H"~ \,T

Trading prublems are often rell-.etM In tbe emirulUnelll in which you

choose 10 he. If your physical em'irunment is a mess, chanc..,. are Ihat
your trading is a m'-"'S. too. And so it was "" ith Jo!m, one of my clients.
Jo!m's par~nts learned to I><' de"cr out of necessny, TI,ey ...-~'" poor
i,mnigno"ts from \" "gustavi" who escaped Con"""nism w;(.h not hiug more
{han (he doll,..,. on thei r backs a"o the dc{enniuatiou to create a safe life
for Ihems..lws in A",priCa. Tlwy ed,,~aled lJ'e"''lt'tn'S, grew their own busi·
ness, and establl<hed a fo"n,blio" of weallh. John reme,,,!.ers gmwing up
in a home lhat was full of things thai other people would have dISCarded.
And so II became John's habil as wcll never to Ihru...- away anything, be-
cauS<' il could Ix useful some day, He was I;"ing wnh his parents' mindS<'1
C"en though his inheritance left hin> ,,';(1, n>ure than a million dullars in

"
., ogSTACUS 10 " (COMIN{; A to<' TRADE R

tb~ bank, a murtgage-free hOIl1(>, and a monthJy trust fund stipend that p r~
vide<! enough for an {"',,<age Iif~'Slyl~ for Ib~ res. of hiS lir~ .
Julin ~a"'c a (.rUder arter 1>e;:,,"';11& 1.>o .....{1 with his d,,,,,,,,, field or "n·
gin""ring. J Ie "", nUl to rlo ",hawv.. r it t<",k to be profitable without taking
rl~k_ Any(Jl\~ wh" knew trading would ~ impressed with his mathemalic.a1
<'Quallons all<l indlcators, but he was stuck at Ihe gate. Every time he " 'ould
II)' paper leading to prove his system, he would find it "<'C""""'Y to tweak
it What J ohn was doing ","" trying to crt'ate a siluation where he would
nul haw~ 10 take any risk. Wh"n I 3Skt><J John to s\.aJ1 throwing away "ny'
U,jn& U~~t he thought he would "e,'cr.1oSe again. he found it ;mpOOl!iblc . In
fruSlralion he ask...! "'" an all·t().~ramiliar que.tit"" ·WI~~1 do"s Ihi. have
to do wilh trading and making muney"" I luld John Iltal until he was willing
to lei go of Ihe beUefs of his parents, he would never ltave Ihe min"""l of
lak in..: Ih" risk !lff"ssary to oc a suecc""ful lrader

SulullulI: Ih'lil'CI Orlkr

I r you look inlo H,,, mirror or yuur lir" and yuu see physical dl'lU, d",. yuu
need 10 address Ih" pmblem . Unfortunately, when disurder and chaus lake
over your IMng sl''''!e. you cannO! simply wave a maglc. wand ""d ,nake il
all disappear. Howe"er, Ihe good news IS tltal owr lime, Ihe I)mble", can
be "omplNely cO"""ted. I have helped traders bring order back inlo their
li\'es Ihrough Ihc followin..: process:
• Th e first slep is 10 dN:ide on one very small arca Ihat could be eleaned
and org.,ni'l-d in a matler or a rew ",in"l"" al '''ost. Then. do il~ Make
i( somcU'ing so painl.,gs thai il """nOl """ate any fcar or disco",ro!"\.
• A.'s<,,'" as you Ita"" ac.c.mnpll.med Ihis first Slep. pralse yourself.
• Repeal Ihese su.p.• .
• As you begin 10 see progress, you cal! take on projects Ihat are a litTle
larger, but never sel yourself major goals"" Ihis wiU cause you to r",,]
overwhelmed

Remember. Ihat no one can eal a IO-!!er chocolale cake in one largc
mouthful. BUT, anyone can do n a spoonful at a lime.

( ; IIoosn(; IIOW ,"OL Ti\lm (aRI'; 01'

\ 'OI, K OLTF.K sm .F: \ 'OLR OKF.SS
,\\0 .\ .... F. \K I\\e :l l

Ore<.. appmpriately tu f....1good al .. )UI yourself, be<:au..... yon will respond

emotionally 10 your own appearance Ihe same way you respond erno!!on-
ally to other people's choices ahout lheir apP"arances.
 S", what 110 yuu s<><, in the mlm" tuday? If you see yourself siuiog at
the computer "n"ha,'en, in pajamas, and barefoot. your appearance may
be refl""'ing the source of your trading problems, One of the lessons I have
Icame<l from attending mumi""" trade shows is thai I can S(XII a I"ghly
s"cc~'SSfllltradN froll' a hundred f~'<-"t away. lie is rardy (iIc Sh)(lpy fello'"
,..ith (he r,"e o'clock shadow "'ho looks like h~ n.,...,1s a sllo,.."r. lie ,..ill
have a dean..:!u{ appearanc.e with an air or .;onfiden<:t' a11t)U{ him.

~ol"lion: Ht-I1t'1"l ll \\dl -lI rt-SSt-ti hnilgl'

JIIS( a~ (h" Sla(e of yOllr l,iIY'ica( environn>"nl Inay ....11...::1 disorder in your
trading, your physical appearanc.e may do so, !.<~). Taking care of your ap-
l>eamnce tell~ yum unc.,ms.;ious mind that you are in control or your ,.."rld
and that you care about youfS<'lf, as ,..ell as promoung discipline in your
hfe. \\1,en you look in the nllrror and see a person proud or his appear-
ance, your unconscious reHects {hat succ""". All ofthe"" mcssa.o:"" pro'1de
positiw instructions for your U"CO"""IOUS nllnd.
Pan of looking g<JOd is looking healthy and lit. So, wearing e,'cn the
1lI,";{ e~pensive dothes,..iIl not ubscure {he fac:t that yuu ,,~~ke unheal{hy
ehuic.Pll in yuur diet mId eJwrcL<;e regilne". If yuu bulge i" the middle, m,d
if your skin and hair look ulIl,eahhy, you wiU "ot be able to hide it rrom
your mirror

(; UC)()SI \'C; IIOW "01, l ' um C; \HI'; 01'

\ 'nt.H Il:U: H SF-I,F: "Ot H 1'11411. c;lI'I'S
\\:11 F,UO'l'ln\:s

When you look carefully at your face in the mIrror, you "ill see your OWII
thoul(hts alld f('{'lings rclkcte<l in yo", cy"" and in the comc,"" of your
mouth. Is it a happy. detcrmincd , ]l""iti~c. content , or succf"SSful aura Uw
you ~-e" Is it a d"pr~_d, ~ iUcr, frighten~... I, Of resigned face thai look8
back at ~'ou" If We can .... ad (hose pow"rful e"'olions iro (he fac~'S of th"""
aruw>d u.~, we c.an leanl t() """ th~", ill oursel",,,",, as well . Su take a goud
long I"ok
Our thoughts determine our emolio"". which in {urn detem,ine our
Ix-h",;o,"", If our thoughts are ncgative. P<'ssinustic, &'If·dcprt'Cati''-'l. and
fingcr pointinll, our emotions will Ix- dark, fun of dcprf"SSion and anller,
and ,'nergy dCllleling. Our IrJding will ...11".::( (huse !huught8 and erno! iuns.
Wilh such po",,,rful inn~r fol"C..-s at work, i! is "asy to sec ho,.. a trader
would have llifficulty dealing ,,;th the inevitable lus.<;eS tlla{ al"f' a na1!lrai
pan or trading.
" O£STiO.CW TO BECOMIN{; ~ HWTRADER

A [rarler !l.1Jne<J Phil had 1.....1\ struggling ..... ith hl~ trading fur many
years, wlable to rise abu,-.. mediocre results. It ..... as ub,ious, however, af-
ler our first session together that the problem was clearly refl{'Cled in the
cho;""" h~ made in his thoug.h\.S, Plnl ..... ,," quick 10 talk about ttl" "egati,-c,
and ca~cr 10 look for ways 10 prov" tha! he ''''.. wron~cd by Ihe markets
and by ",'ery,,", .. around hi"'_ When Phil looked in the mirror, all he saw
WaS a "ien"" lI is poor perfomlancc "'as a p.'rfect ",·lIc'..1;ol\ of his self·
flefeating ""[f·taU,, What PhU n~ed to d" was to a.;tually hsten to hl~ own
self-talk to see how he sabotage<! ItI5 own suc""","

!Ouiu] lu" , n UHIS{, 1·II~ il l\'t'. I ,lfl'-'\m rlllill~.

\'ol i\-~ l i ll~ S,' lf-T;IJ k

You may nol Ix- able 1o""" your words in a mirror, but you can c<'rtainly """
H'ei. cIT,'<.-'IS 0" your fae..... How Can you SlOp Cht>OSing ncgativ~, sabotaging
""I r· t.~1 k?

• The first step l~ to start uotic.ing Iww you lalk 10 yourself when you are
nol fullowing your rul"" in trading. Do nol lJ)' to cen"or your though ....
Just observe them. What are you really telling yo""",l/"? It helps to write
down whal you are saymg to you"",lf to discoV{'r what is rl'a1ly going
on in your ""nd, Rememb<.'r, your ""or<ls will aff...:t your en"'tio",", and
~'O"T " " 'olions will aff...:! yuur l>erion'~~nc.,. So, h~t.e" carefully .
• Onc.e you have spent sume time obsen.;ng anrllistenlng to yuur own
self talk, it is time to correct it When you hear yourself saying some-
thing "egative, correct il with a positive staWmenL For example, 'f you
hear you "",If saying, "11,erc I go again, doing sometlting stupid,- cor·
r<'Ct ~'oufsdf w'lh a slatcnl<'nl such as, "I I~am u&'full.""",ns from my
m'~lakes.·
• ~:ach
'j",c ~'ou sa~' sun'Ctil;ng positive, pro,.,., yourself by saying, "g()()(1
c.au:h· to anc h"r in the ,ww l>ehaviur.
• Continue listening to your self-talk and t" the 5('lf.talk "f olhers, and il
will make you even more aware of negati"e talk. This will eventually
cause you to translate your negative self-talk into positive staWment
anchors,

(: IIOOSI\:f~ IIO W \ '0 1.. T,\lO: f: \K E

01' \ 'OUt nn:R sm,I': \ 'O L K
S rIRITI}U I.II' Il

Once again, looking d~~ply into Ihe ",j.-roT, yuu ca" se~ rel\...:t~><J the'" the
peace or bck of it that c.o"'ps from having c.u iU\,afffi a spirit""J life or n"t
Mirror, Mirror ,
ha>-ing ~one so. Tr-~d~.-s who 1JeC0llle obser;se~ wiU, ,he IJotto'" line and
fnrgel abou"h" 'op Ii""
c.an loS<' 'h" i,,,,,,. pea<: .. tha' l~ essential", a long
and happy trading c.areer. For example, Keith was a trader wh" was so
obsessed with his trading that he fruled to develop the other pans of his
life. When his wife died from bn-asl eane,' r. 'us .' ulire world eollaps<'d,
a1on~ wilh his trading. lie had 110 inner rcsourc"" from which to draw,
and he had no ~p i ritual life 10 h",p hi", deal wilh Ihis enonnous IlOSS in
hiSli f" .

Solulion: Find /I Spi riln;III'rar lil'l' Th ;11 !lrings

rn" Innn 1',';lN '
Ilecau..qe thN'P l~ nu nne spirimal pmc.tic" 'hat l. righl fur everyun". yuu
may n.... d to look around fur the one ,hat filS your nceds and values. You
may decide that the religious tradilion of your childhood is the one that
f""'s bc8l, or you may find that you ha,",-' outgrown il In any case, prayer
andlor meditalh'c praetic"" arc powerful means to bring you pcace. Once
you ha>'c Iwgun 10 achic"e Ihai inncr I>cace, it will Sl'ow in ~' o" r face an~
be reHe-cI ..... in your trading.

( :IIOOSI\'(; IIOW \ 'O t, 1\:1'F.H ,\(;1' WI 'I'II

l 'lI F. Oll'SlIm \\,OMI.I. ; \ 'O t, H
M.:I ,·\'r!O\'SlIlrS \'\ill HH,R
( ;O\'TRIR (; TlO\'S 1'0 TIIF. (;(UI\I (; \'I1"\'

When you look into the mirror, you can also see the fae"" of the people
standing n."x\ to you. Who are they and what do Ihelr fac"" lell yuu? 00
you sec a happy and lo';ng family and a large circle of friends surroundmll
you'! 1)0 yuu see a comm"nily of p-e<.>plc around you who are grolef,,1 for
Ihe contributions thaI ~'ou ," a ke 10 the '''' Or do yo" Sland alon~, wilhout
a I"''ing sap port system' In eithN ~ase, your trading wft<><;ts what you see.
A lro~er with a strong sup[Kln sysu.m Cal, face losses a1,,1 pwhlems in his
trading. lie knows that there are strong relationships from which he can
draw suppon, undelSlandmg, and sympalhy. Hc knows why he get.'! up m
the moming and what his trading means to "is me in a way Ihatll;~es him
nloli"alion 10 sucte""'. A lra~~r whu contribuk"S 10 the co,nn,,,nily f.,..18
good alJouI h;nlSt'lf and in 'un<, r~><:.·i"~"8 respe-ct and appre-ciation. All of
these positive forces cOnlribu!e tn the I"ok of confidence , self·es\N!m, and
security in Ius faff. !lUI, what happens if a lrader ha.'! chosen unwisely in
his personal life and has surround"'" himself wilh loxie relationships or
none at aU?
K ogSTACUS 10 " (CQId'N{; A to<' TRADE R

Solulion 1: l' irs ll){' \I' lnp l' GlI udlll'l a linn s hip
" Uh Yllu rs .-ll', ;lnd Tlwu Ih';lfh oulln OIlll'rs
rrUlIl Sl r ,' uglh ;111d f;~lrill g

A trader who h .... trouhled relat;,,'l.qhips wllh "them "lte" has a trtJubll'd
relationship ",lib ltimself, which. in {un" usually resulL~ from a troubled
relalionsl,,!> with his pas!. Healing wounds from the pas! is a major under-
taking. Rdationsltip issues, d,,,n, ar(' JUst th" symptom of d('{'~r problems.
There may also be addIction lSSm'S, andlor d",muer;,-.,. anilud<'S and pat-
l~n\8 of behavior to corrt"C1 before a l.rJd,,' Ca" "'0"" forward with good
rt"ialionst,j ps. \\1,,," deep, ""....so],."" issues are Ihe barriers (0 good rela-
tionships, mud , of th .. work neede·1l to c.urrect thes<' prnhlems should II<'
done with the assistance or guidaJ\ce uf {rained professionals. Olh ......·;,;."
the bandages used to patch up the wounds will easily come unglu"".

Solution 2 , (;1' 1 1111011'1' 11 lltJll (;1'1 Oul

uf Ihl' IlIIU SI'
Ir tile proble'" is not a d,'~p un" but simply a ,esult uf 100 '''0(;11 time spc"t
trading and not ~nough living, then the lim~ ha.. ~mne to find a way \.0 get
i',,"ol\'oo . F_~"II "om munlty ha.. a wealtll or civic mId "..cial organizati,,"8,
churches, clubs, adult ""ucalion programs, charities, and activilles of ev-
ery kind. Something in all that mIx will provide an isolat"" lrad~r with an
oPl'mng into tlw world of social interaction and friendslnl>". The only re-
quiremc,,! IS that he must get out uf t""
own "mall world and lenlJ>Or3rily
close lhe door t>o"h;nd him.

(:0 \'( :1.t:S If) \'

lis difficult as il is lu tal< e a hard 1001< in the mirror, Ihe anSwer>! to many
uryuur trading probl"m" are right th~'e r", Y"u \." St-'C. f:acl' day We ",ake
cll,,;c,," almut h"w ,,'p will ta kp care uf oo_lves, uur enviro",n"n1-, and
our r<,lali",~.hifJ.• . If we ~ol\sisU<l\tly d"......., wl<;ely, the !"<'SUIL. will shine
f"rth in th" mirror, ann wili he '1'01'<;\"'[ in our trading. We ,,'ill S('e the
same confidence, energy. and success in our trading that we see in our
fae .... If we fall to make good and healthy choices. eventually we w;U" ....
the same ane,"ie and negati"" forc"" in our rae"" that we sec in our trading.
The cl'"iee is ""rs and lhe ",irror d.....,;; not lie .

Pe,jed iu" i~", (",.e,,[e~ ~l,·e~.~, /"'/ WOI·/.:i "9 ton'" ,.,J [he b~~.1
jlossible outcome ('lIow~ !IOU· /0 Iw t'e a,e be~t
outcome (JQssible.
 I , ll \1"11 II:.!

The Perfection
Trap

re you tile perfect trader? [)o you want to be? Do you seek the perfect

A trade, tile one that unlocks all d,e d()()", 10 your dreams? Are you
trying to create the perfect Iradin~ system? If "", you may al"" be
u""'illing 10 seWe for anyU'ing less Ihan II'~ I",rfecl houS<c, P<'rf~'C1 car,
I",rfeel spouse, r.... rfecl sct,()()\s for your children, p.:rfecl vacation, an~ dIe
1""fp<;1 night"5 sl~ep 10 ref,,,,, .. y"u 1""fp<;tJy ror th~ p~rfect <lay I" cume"
If yuu could ad'ie" .. all uf tJ~~t perfecli"n in yuur lire, would n make
you happy? Content? A beuer trader? A bener spok!S<' and parent? A beuer
human beine

Roy is a brilliant man ,,-itl, an ~1l0mIO"" capacity to ad,;",'e suee..,.,. as a

prof~'1!Siunal trader and in his pe"""nallife. The prubk'n, is 1I~~t he actually
ad';e>'",," and pnxluces very liltle because he is ob"'-'ss~'d ,,'ith doing
everything p<"f(~Jy and I" h'''ing everything perfect. Fur that rea"on,
Ruy has spent much or d,e past 25 years "'orking un creating the perfect
trading system, PeriodicaUy, he all" .... s himself to f.... l that Ius system is
ready to trade and once again he tradps in real time, AI first, his system
,,-ill perfoml ... yo" gu~SS<'d il ... perf<'CUy and hIC .... iII make a killin.o: inlhe
nlMket for at I~a!;l a nlonlh and !>,-,ssibly m"re, At Ihis llOin~ I'~ .... ill call m"
and ,,'ax [lOt'tic aboul the perfectiun of hi.~ sySlc",- n,,1 Shortly Ihereallcr,
his system .... ill begin to generate some I" ..""" as well, and a.. soon as that
happens, Roy's trading goes into a ste~p ded",e, Wllhin a brief time, he

,
'" O£STiO.CW TO BECOMIN{; ~ HWTRADER

wi!! have given back evel)'lh;ng he l\l.~de in the 'narkeL~ and ""m"limI'S;)
bit mu .... ,
Once tins cycle ends, Roy will Degin all over agam 10 fiddle with his
sy"l~m unHi it is perfNi and will Cl'('at.. "nly profit.'! and no 1""",-""
And whal about Roy's perfN:! life? Wd!, Roy is "o1 mamc<llweausc
h~ has n~,'er found the perf~><:1 WO,"all . Il~ has hmJ many girlfriends, b", he
falls "n, of 10'-" w;1 h each 0"1' as SOUII as he di..c,-",crs Iwr inl[lt'rfeclions_
1,1' does nol own a house t,.,.,all..... he could nevl'r seltle on "nf'-there wa."
always a problem with each home in which he has Uved. In fact , he has
nlOved Inerally dozens of I;m"" throughout the course of his adulthood.
II'h .. " Roy bcgins a pmj''CI, he works Oil il compu,sively, allcmpting to
make it perfect. which is impussibl .. , So, he fiddJ<'!! wllh it cndl.-ssly,
"nable 10 Icl i ( go_ The li~1 of his life's i"co"'pl~tions continu~s 10 grow
longer anrl longer.

l'I'; HI"..:«:l 'IU,\: \"U SU:( ; .'; SS

Achie>'ins success in any ~"dea,·"r is difficult ~""uSh without adding Ih~

c.o",plic.alion "f trying to ru:hieve [l<'rfe.;tion at the same li",e. Anyo"e
wh" has ever llSerl a Micru!;oft product knows that [l<'rfe<:tion wa.. n"ver
achieved, never even close, Dut Microsoft comer...:l the markeL It got its
customers close enough. And yes, it dId so in a sloppy and "on-intunive
way, But , it en,-"redthe markct in a timely fashl"n. nad It waitedt" achic"c
perfection, il I'.-ould hal'e enlerC<! the race too late to Wtn,
I" trading, the ... is no p~rfection I" be achiev~d. T!'~re is "" I,"'f~"(;l
trading syste"" the .... are no perfe.;t trarles, and t.h~re L< no perfe<:t trader.
u.JS""" ate a nat.ural part "ft!>.. pr"<:",,s-in fa<:t, you could almost say that
losses are a perfe<:t patt of a trading system. The object i'l to limit the losses
so that your gains outpace your losses, The object should ne"er be to com-
pletely elIminate any chance oft""""". TI"" would mcan that you had falien
inlo Ihe Perfe..."tion Trap .

110'" I'r ,\1.1 . IIfo~fa\"s

Roy's own <:<",flnelnent in the [l<'rfe.;tion trap l~~ppened ,.n young that he
"el'er had a chance to escape, 1Ii'l parents were critical and demanding
frum the day that Roy gained eonsclousn""". Roy could ncv~r pleas<' them,
Rq\anUrss of how hard he inC<! to be perfect. his parents would always
find """,cdung with which 10 find faulL To make mattcrs worse. they aiw
,,' iUlheld prais.: and appro>'a1. n'e re.;ult was thai Roy leanl~'d al the moot
 "
Cri(iCaJ poi"t in r,h~ de>'dull " '''''i UO'Ls worldvic'" thatille ,,"'''' in' purl""(
thins in life was to achieve perf"'!li()',-
,,~'" are six of Ihe major paths by which trad~rs arrive in the perfec-
lion trap;

I. Perf""Ii()"~Jema,,ding p.=nl<
This, of course, IS Roy's background. !lUI it is a common one. The
faces may \I<' different, but Ihe rl'5uit is (h~ same, Parents are fearful
of llwir own inadequacy al nOi bemg perff."CL Since they were proba-
bly raised in an Nlually crillcal and approval·withholding {,lInronment ,
(h,·y do "01 s..... Ihe harm Ihey art, doing in repeatjng the paUen, "n
(h,-ir in"ocenl child","_
2. ,'ear or fail" .... and It>!IS
Some lrarle ... arrive at the poil\!. or rlemanding perf<>etion in Iheir
trading after pxperie"c.ing the [\ain or I"",. Rather tha" deal ing with
those (..",lings and working their way lhrougb them , Ihey fOfeswear
ever eXjI{'nencing that kind of pain again. Dut. th~ only way!O never
agam experience a trading 10811 is!O become the perfect trdder. Each
time tbe t ....der e);perienees another loss he is even more dctemllnru
!O be I,",,~ "ulnerabl~ by being ",or~ Pt",fecl.
J. Praist- fo r b·e ing Pt"rf...-ct
Thl' reverse of th .. highly ,!riti~a1 family life is th .. o nl' in whid, thl'
dlil'l ig pro~.,..d o,'pr awl over again fur a chil'ving perfectiun-in scl"",1
wilh perfect grades, in spons and performan"" siluations, in solving
problems, or achieving goals. This praise and recognition can come
from parcnts, but It can also co",e from teache,"", coach"", otl,er family
mcmbe", and friend!;, and c,""n from lotal stran~e",. The physiological
","1\ that co"'~"8 f",n' t!~~t kind of IHlILse can imprint 0" a vulneroble
young mind Ihe desire to experienc.e the rush again and again, It is
exa"lly like the reat!tion the brain ha.~ to an addic.tlvp drug.
,I. PerfectimH'hsessed cultural fo"!",,
If you watch television commercials, you wiU hear the word
"perfect" used more and more frequently: perfect weddmgs, perfect
vacation. perfect home, pNfect lawn , perfN:t sunset. In fact , the .... ord
perft"(;t is n~arly ubiquitous in the ad>,t·rtising ba,....Jg~ of ou r ""nS<.-"8_
Spend a day 1\0"'" sid tying on your sofa watching con",,,·,,,ial tck~
>'ision and start counting the tin"... that the word perfect eo'''es up
In the ads. not to ",enlion the prugro"'ming itself. Of <:<>urse, it l~ II0t
just tele,'ision but all the "'M,a that are infected with Ihis notion or
perrection. The n<>lion of ])<,rfection being the endgame ror all human
endea>'ors has taken on a "alue beyond ,ts userulness. But the resuli is
a subcunsciuus inf...-chun in the minds of far lOO "'any,
" ogSTACUS 10 " (COMIN{; A to<' TRADE R

:;. F~cI;fl#! of ;l\S{'Cunty and I""" of value

Wh~" a trader toM d .... lJ-St'awd r.... hngs uf i"ad~'Quacy, i,o.<;e<.;orily.
<t",Vor worthl"ss"ess, he will on"n aU~"'JlI '0 ""crcu""p,,n&ilt' by aI,
I"'''pling (0 achieve l",rfe<;liotl in hl~ work and in his e"vinmml'n!..
Achieving perfe<;li()n ....ill pro",1' his "wrth and S<'ule any ,loubL. he "r
otllers may have about 10m. Of course, the ltarder he sui""" for P<'rf<'C-
lion, the more ;1IS<'Cure he actually appears to the outside wond.
6. Thefearoflossofcomro l
In a profession In which a .rOOcr can easIly fed Ihat he has little
or "" control, the achlcn'rncn, of P<'rfcL1ion can <luell any M'ruK' of not
!.>eing in con'rol . Por the ;""",<:u''', achieving po-, f"",-'1;o,, "'eans ,hal you
toa,'" Iolal contruL

What aU or th .. "" faao", ha".. in ,,(J"'"""'.

al their very !la<;/', L< fear.
The achieve",,,m "f I",rfe<:li()n makes ru, individual f,..,} aU.pow"rfu}' Itl
fact. the adtie".emen! of perfee!!on is as dose to godliness as we can come.
BUI the piper mw;t be paid, as "'e will 8<-'C •••

,"OR l 'R \lmRS: 1'1"': C;OST CW

rl, RSI, I\:C; rII. RI' Il C:TIO\'

JUSI as the Pied Piper demand ...1 hi. payment, it i. easy to see what four
or Ihe nOl-so.hidden costs ofthe pursuit of perfection might be by looking
at Roy's eXll<'rience, as well as those of other traders who are stuck in the
Perf<'L110n Trap:

t. Difficulty in lakmg aCllon

To den'and perfe<.1 lrades that do nOI general e losses meanS thaI
a trader will hesiUl.(e each and ""cry li",c he should l><- taking actio n
ha... ~ on the signaL~ he gel~ from hi~ sJISI."m/metJ,,,dolo&y. hL<tead of
perr...;1 trade_., thill hesitation can lead to no Irades or bad trades. The
demands of perfection ea .. progress from hesit..ltion, to dIfficulty in t..lk·
ing action, to inabilily 10 take action. which means that trading stops
altogether
~. Lossof""lf-<l"""plinc
InSlcad of inc .... asing selr·discipli, ... , the pUl'Suil of perfectio" ",ill
ultimately unden"i"" self·di"dp(ine by putt ing u"reasonable pr~"&;"re
on the IndMdu.1.l trader 10 b" perfeet. At first, Ih" pursuil or perfeclio"
may gui,!" a trader 10 a mo,,, and more dl«:iplined praCIi<:<'. [lut "stime
passes. he will reel obliged to raise Ihe bar higher and higher. In Roy's
experienc~, litis lISuaUy resulled in a total ""Uapse of his discipline,
TM porfur;or1 Trap

lik .. a diNer who sU~~Ulnbs to bing.. ing aftl'r a diN that is 100 rigid, For
a trader, this m~ans the sudd~n abandonment of the controls on his
trddin.,;, which can lead to significam IOISSCS.
3. Instability
Llxe Roy who movNl from place to placc lookmg for the pt'rfN:1
en>ironment for his trading and Ins li'"lng spacc, a tmde, seeking pt"r-
f~"{;1 ion will Ih,d t.hal h~ is ~o'\Sta"tly upru<)(ing hiS life . Whel her he is
perpetually on H'e mo>'c, re"'odeling, or changing spou""," or partne.,;,
this trader's life wiU be riddl",-t with i,\Stability, Unfortunately for hi''',
one or the most important ~on,e ... t"'H'S of a su,, ~essful tra<ll'r';; life is
stability
,I. Unhappy, unfulfilled personal me
The pursUit of pcrfe<:tlon in tradin..: will alm08t surely spill o~er
Into a trd<!er"s pt"rsonai life. The s.carch for the pt"rfeet spouse will re-
sult in di~orce, one after another. II will also re\!uit in the alienatiun of
un" 's d,itu",n and friendships. A trader whu [,,,-"Is thai he has fuund II,,,
·perf...."! mat .. • will mak .. hi~ "ew luve reel as thuugh she is a qu""" . II ..
will showl'r her with praiSl! a",1 pres<>nL", setting her up on a 1""I... taL
ilut , she will be in for a rude awakening after he disc",'ers that she
,s not a goodess, hut only a human ocin.,;. If stability is essential to
a trader's succ"'"", a happy and supportive home life ,s the basis of
that stability.

(;.:1'1'1\'(; O I.; T OF Tllll l 'R ,' " ,\ \'., 8M: ":

""TO nit: fOR.:.:\-

Although the allure of perfeetio" is a "cry po"'crful one, as we have see",

it is possible to 100S<"1l its grip on a trader's br~. The", a", four s(eps to
getting out or the perfe<:tioll trap:

" The 1I1'l' step in <"SCaping the 1,"'f~"Ction ,rap, of COll.-se, is the r..cogni.
tio" tha, you are in iL~ poss'''''"io", As you ,,,ad this artide, did you .....
yuurnelf III il? Do yo" r.,euglli"" yuur own n",,11 to h" pl'rfe<:1, to have
the ·perfect things· in your me?
l . If you feel that you have a problem wilh perfection, take an honest
assessment of your own perf""t,on trap:
• lIow long have you been mit?
• What makes you feci thaI you need 10 have perfection in your Itfe
(where dtd 11 Ctlmc from)?
• How do you apply il 10 yoursetr' To your (rarling" To the significant
others ill your life?
 CMST~CU> TO BlCOMINC A TOf> TIlAD[R

• Huw dOl'll il aUt"CI yuur trading' Whal wuuld chaJ\g~ in YUllr trading
if you sloppe<l trying 1<, I", perf...::t anrl just f'ICu.'*,d on following
your trading method"logy"
• \Vital are you gelling from Irying to be I",rfeel-whal is Ihe payoff
fo, you? h it a ""Me of being in comru!? Of bemg m"rc "!ortlw of
IOI'~ amI adnliration? Of ..-dudng f~a, of 1065 and pain?

:1. Once you have looked at Ihe underlying: causes and Ihe nalUre of your
own perf...,tlon trap, write a list of the Ihings in your life Ihat It has cost
you What ha"e you gil'en up? For example:
• P~ae,-" of mind
• Tolemnl''' a"d/ o' ""cunditiunal IUI'e of the 1"-'OfII~ du",,-'Sl 10 YOll
• I'liel\(l<, family, and c.hil<lre n
• Enjoyment of the pI'(IC"I'.~ of trading
• Professional success
,I. ~ow Imagi ne what II would I", like 10 give up the no\ion that y<>u must
achie .... perfee\lon. What would you gam? To answer tltal qUe5\1on, you
can simply look at the li5t you wrote for 51ep Ihree. AI thIS point, you
must dedd., If the I>enefilS of e"dkssiy seekirlll perfectIon outweIgh
the cost and the poU'n[laI gain of lIot trying w be perfect.

So, )'OU are askirlll, if I give up my quest for perfection, what willl hal'" m ilS
place' Will the rt'llllit be ehaUl>, medi ocrity, povel1y, sk>lh, Md crudeness
all around me'! or cOlin.... "ot! Yuu can Still exe rcise good (.(LSle and high
starubrrl.• . (lilt you can aUo", yuurself to I", satisfi...-l with ajob well rl()ne or
done t() 'he bes( y()U can du . You ..-ill di..,over (hat very guod and exc-elletll
can also bring you oU1!i(andlllg resuJ1!i. And now you can sit back and!akp
pleasure in the fOIbles and shoncornings in others as they dISplay the ..
dNlire for "perfectlon.- You can relax and .-.I\ioy th~ process oftrading. And
best of all, you Ca n lean. to appreciate aillhat you Ita"e, The re>;uit wm be
HUll YUII can now trade wiU, a St'''* of joy, ,,'ith the knuwledge that l...,;.s
is C"'''ing and il l~ okay be<:au."" it L~ buil l in\() your sysU'm, thai you a ....
suppor!Hl by family and frien,l., and (ha! """h d.~y L. a gift, Oh, and by the
way, your tradIng: "'iII almost certainly a<!vance \() Ihe next S\i'p

If IJfJU do '10/ al/oul for ~ile>t1 mo"'e>tls i'l yow' life,

/oopil!g ,'tories of seiliulk will inteljere witlt gou
"ITO"'l'li~hi"g !Iou gouls.
 ( , II,prllll

Deep Freeze

t a rN:em prufrssional b""kMbali game, an eighlh grade girl was

A preparing to e'lIt'rie"ce the thrill "f a hfdi"'e. She had bct'n sdt>(;!L'd
to sing ""I"1>e Star Spangl",1 Han"er" lIt'fure a i/l'lle and enthusiastic
audie,><:p. Inslead of experienc.ing the Ihtill ofsu(!c.es.~, .he fotsutthe words
1<, Ihe "ong and froze. The humiliation "lUI emharrassme nlthal ""'epl OVer
her added I" Ihe whirlwind of fear thaI consumed her. AI Ihat moment, the
coach for the Punland Trail Blazers, Maurice Cheeks, appeared al her side
and starn'(] to sing ""hile t' ncouraging ht' r 10 fullow This kind and coura·
gt'Ous "'a" "'ell",1 he r frt>(;7.t, u"d she r,niSht'd the song I riu"'pha"Uy.
JUSt as Ihis young lady froze al the ""ry "',,"'e,,1 sl'e "eeded tu l>e
fJ"rforming at her hffit, traders frequently find thenL~el,'CS fr.,.,zing at the
",oment when they should 1><, trading al Iheir hCSL Instead of putllng
the trigger to take thaI trade or exiling at the pre-<Ieterrnined SlOp, they
fr(,{,le The resull is Ihm they stand by and watch hclplrssly as a Iremen·
duus uppununlly p"""'-'!l Ihem by or their 1 = continue to pile up into
a financial catastrophe . Afterward, filled with rernu!'St", gu ilt, and self·
I"t"erinlinaliu", they St'arch fur ' ea'l<-",S a"d ju81ifieatiu"s ru, \I'eir failure.

E"en the best IradeTS eau {'xl'"rience the l>eep P"'.,-I.e. In facl, tht' beUer
a trader l~ and Ihp longer he has bee" suceessful, the "'0"" likely It is that
he will face a [).epp Prepzc Pxpeti""c.e 0" ()<!<!a~ion. T()l' prores.~ionaL. In
all fields of endeamr experience this l'!wllum~nun . An exampl~ wuuld

"
 O!ST4CUS TO BECOMING II TO!' TR.t.I>ER

be Tiger WO'Kl~ ill a PGA Masu.rs' Toun~'lInm'l at Augus"" Georgia. He

had his eye 011 his Ihim Greell Jacket. If he had won , it would have made
him 'he only golfer 10 ever win 'he PGA Maste",' three lim .... m a row,
claimmg 'he symbol of being dIe best. Bm even one of the mosl focuS<'<!
alhlctN! in the world can experiencc dccp fr{'C"" mo~,ents when UlTowl\
psYChologically off coulS<".
Ho"" ~'Ould Il,is happen to 8uch a WIIs,,,,""ale prt>f~""iolla l "' ho is so
ru:~ustollwd t.u winning a",[ handling strffi.~? Thi.~ sel of pxpe<!lations is
exactly what can undem,ine the eoncelllralion ofa w;IUler When a profes-
sional is accustomed 10 winning, he can be completely Ihrown off his game
when somNhing un"xp{'Cled happens Ihal puts him at a disad"antage This
is what happened to Ti.ller. A slight misslel', a liny I""", of coneemrdlion
Uta! creal ....1a" ''''~ , pect<-"I de';a,i"" ill Iht' layoul of a sho, T~'Sul,t"d in hi'"
being I"". than Tiger. Since the failure to perfonn at his jll'ak wa~ no longer
in Tiger's mental players book, sudrlellly, he was orr hi.. game and off the
mark for Ihe thtrd G ...... nJacket.
Once a professional trader finds himself off his game after a deep
f......"" nperi"nce, he may lOS<' confidence unaccuslOnoed to losing con·
fid"nce, he willi""" noor<' co"fidenc" and be<:o,",,, un"eTtain of his ability,
rearful thaI he has Ius, the magic . He will l>t,(;Oll'" ~II' b.~rrassed lioat h~ is
not winnil\8, and ultimately, b"~,,me less and less capable or rec.-.,aling his
personal mirades.

Re-cently, a trader nam...-l [Ion took my Trader's Evaluation. Fron, his evalu·
ation , his foundation for psychological stability apJI<'ared to be eXffptional.
lie was highly diselplined in his professional and personal life. He con-
sistently pmctlcNi h"allhy patterns of Ihou~ht and bcha,;o •. His prepara·
tion for tradilll! W,,", Impress,,'c and hc maimained eontinuNl prof""",onal
and p~TSUnal d~velop,,'~n(.. His thildhuud alld cu rrent fa,,'ily lif~ appeared
to be Iwallhy , r"nC\ional, and 8UPPOr'\;v~ or t,is ,rading activil i~'S. His a,ti-
lad"", t",lief~, and e""'tional underpinnings were .""nd and boL~te ri"g for
success. BUI the question remained; Why would he free"" at following his
rules? The only way Don was going to change Ihe pattern he had developed
was for me 10 hdp tum uncovcr Ih" hidMn rool cause of 'he problem and
hdp him to reprogmm his associations and reactions.

1'\'S rll(;T RIlSS (; I , O ~ S S I'; o\L.

,\1' \ 'OLR SI': R\' ''; I';

~';"",
we bad to dlSCo""r how [)un cOllslruclNl his lhinking, We nredNllhis
infonual ion to reprogra'" and rea.nchor Ihe assucialions thaI w~ re blocking
Dup Frtu.
"
hl~ pathway 10 su~~I'ss. What were the beliers, a((;tudes, values, deds;o'"<,
and experienc"" that built th~ roundation or his pe,",,~puons and ~reate<l
th~ w~ak"css that saootag<xI his performanc~ wh~n he ,,"""e<I1\ Ih~ mOi'!I?
EV~ry\h;ng he said about his background looked supporti"e or SUCCt'Sll In
life. In fact, (I'e succt"SS he eXI",rienc~'{! in hOs lJusinl'SS life bt-fore ch.......sing
trading as a Career Con finned Ilw wundness of his (IUaliflcations.
Don had d;flkully in ~ompINi"g one homew(Jrk assigmnenL The task
had been to recall unhappy lire experienc ..... Except ror 10:sse5 in trading,
Don ~ould only recall one single ute ""ent that was not positive lIe,,~
membered a childhood expenence whl' ,"" he was playing wilh malch"" and
slaItNl a fire in a haYlltack nexl to tb~ family bam, As th~ Ham~s kapl 10"
ward the ban, and (he fa"'ily ho,ne, he could S<-'" tile'" bt-ing conSU"'~'lIl>y
l1a"' .... in hlS ",ind'8 eye, Rushing 10 ['is "'o(her in a panic, he found Uta!
he ~ould not speak Ill. mother shoul.,.-[ at him 1\) roc.us, hUI he ~ould o,dy
verbalIZe one word: -FIRE!"
Fortunalelv, Ius mother reacted quickly enough to avert a major dis-
astN The VIsion m Don's imagination of Ihe l>am going up in l1am"" was
enough to Impr""" UDO" him th<- importanc(" of making choie"" in life that
wuuld n'-" result in din.' cunscquenc .... ur major luss. The resull of (his ex'
pericnc .. Wa~ hi8 delenninalio" IU sludy eacl, dt><:isiun and ,"ake certain
thaI. he had di"' i'W",j as mu~h risk as pI ..... ible. He had ,:ertainly exerdse<i
eaulion and due diligence in IllS decision-making process or Illring me as a
coach, checking 0\1\ references, and qUIzzing me on each poUlL
Don had approache<l becommg a I.-older with the samc caution he had
dlsplal'l'll in his earli~r 1if~ lie had back tc,;t<xI his f{'sulls to !(i"c himS<'lf
lhe cunfidence Ihal his syslem would ""uri<. n",n, he furwa.-d leSI ..<I i( by
paper trading 10 make sure lhal he relt comro"ahle taking Ihe sigl\al~. flUi
a.~ many traders find out, trading wilh real money l, the finallPSI (Jf being
able w trade . Don had trained his neurological syslem to PUI up a warn-
ing sign in the rOml or rreezing, not taking actio" whe" his comfort level
was being chaUengl'll Although Ihe words -r our decision could take down
the bam" were not in (liS (lcad , Ihe feelings that r,""ulted from Ih(" loa)' fire
"'ere deeply anchore'll in hi", (HId pre"ent~'ll hi", frum bt-ing consiStent (n
follOWing hl~ trading rulps.

O\'t:H""I': I ,\lI"(; "OLH

\,I,:LHO- , 't:TWOHh:1 \'(;

A princ ipal cause of emotional p.~raly~is is the a.,;.,.. >C~~tion we rornl ,,'jlh
taking actio" under duress. Uke Don, 11"",1 traders have experi<-nced situ-
alions in their youth when they were confronted "'ith a crisis or a moment
of g,eal st""", for which they w~re unpf{'parNl. If Ihey we", ocwilderNl
by pow~rful emotion, conHlctin..: information , or a tr~mendous amount or
OK ogSTACUS 10 " (COMIN{; A to<' TRADE R

",-'usury input from tto ..;r ""'1Nm'Wm, their likely Il'action at that lim .. was
to r...... ,~. Tlwy ,,'ay I,,,,".,. w:troll,,1 to act but c"uld nut. Al'l .. rwanl, th~y .......
playt"d I.he ~xperi~,,~...
owr and """r in 11I,,;r mind's <'~'''. ",Ii";ng Ihe feci-
ing. or fear anrl tUle<>naitlty. Th"n, till')' adde<! the (.... lings or shame and
distress r"r "0' having a<;led. Powerful emutions suc.h as fear and embar·
rassmen! burn the ">:peri""",, d .... ply into the human psych .. , ro,ever ass<>-
ciaung a s;tuati,," thaI is unexpecl<'<l and stressful "'-;110 an Inability to act .
Actually, Ille d .... p fr('{'z" I"('acllon is a form of ""If-ddensc in nature,
Many animals, wt ... " ra~,-'(I wi,h no ;"''''wiale op.. "ing fo r llight or fight,
will r ......'" in Iheir tracks. Th is is nol a greal strategy in I.he path or an un-
c."mlng ear tra"ding m ti5 mil.,,; per hour. Dut , il dearly ear, ha"" an advan_
tage in nature, giving the potential vi~tim the {jm.. 10 assess the situation
and gamer strength for """ape. Unfortunately, it can be a financially falal
strategy for u-ddcl>! who must makc hmdy trddinll dcclSlons that can dther
make or 106(' a great deal of money wnh each tIck of the second hand,

1\" '0 1'11 1': ~ II \' IJ tW

" " NI' OR .l (.\\'(:": ·\\,XII-:1"\'

Just as TIg.. r Woorls roulrl freeze when confrotllerl with a situaU"n f"r
which he was unprepared, all jl{'rrOrnle,,", including trade,,", are capable
of freezmg " 'hen confronted with somelhing unexpecterl, Perronnance
is enhanced when the player trams throug~ rejl{'tnivc acllon, Recently.
comjl{'tilo", haw been trai"in,o: more and more with mental . eheat""ls in
addition to the actu,,1 ph~'sk,,1 repetiO,,,, . Menial ",hea,*,l allows a Will-
jl{'titor to try !leW and fl<,>!iSibly dauge"'u" actio,,,. i!l his mind before II('
ewr aW~lllpt. them in reality. The llf'netlt. of menial rehearsal are well
documented by Olympic athletes from MOund the world.
Trade", can also use menial rehearsal tu test the .. trad,ng techn iqu{'S,
When paper trading, a trader is us;nll menial rehea'>I1d to trade lie """"
him""lf taking Ihe trdde eWJllho~ there ,s no money at stake, Also. he
has the opportunity 10""" how he would lrad~ if his "'O''l'y were actually
"n th .. line . This type "f practl~ l. essential to sU~<:ffiSfullmrling sln~e it
pr~r\'l''' capital while a tmMr l. leanling the prufession.
The problem with paper trading and mental rehearsal is that it does nOl
address Ihe facllhal m()/ll people cannot disconnectlhernselves from the
emotional value they gi"e to ,cal ",oney When . m] ",Olley IS on the line.
unde.ly;!1JI issues ri"" 10 the surface with the power 10 freezc action . These
issues are e ~ prt'SSl't1 in selr_talk in !h~ rollowing exa"'ples:

• Whal about all of the hard "'ork I im'esle-d 10 earn tins mOlley in the
first place?
 "
• It's nol fairtu ri.k '''y family's -,urity.
• My SPOll"" ha.~ t;.e.en So supponive, ",hal hapl"'''s if Ts.:rew up?
• This is pan of the family retirement fund, savings account, vacation
mon~y. and Ihe child",,,'sNlucat;on thal I ha"~ on ule Unc.

• If t am notable to nw kc a Uving, I ""ill ha'-" to ~ct a ",a1Joo.

• Muncy "'ade frum Imding is "My " 'u"~y . ! nt",,,1 to wurk hard or I du"'(
deserve It.
o The market.\i change all the time. IT,,w rlu [ know that thL< moment l<""\
one "fthem?

Does any of {his self-talk sound familiar?

What folluws frum this self-talk is all ime,,,,,, feehng that can lead to
the dCql freeze.

Ttl" "",I C"<L<;e ,,>'ent CTeal~'8 a limiting bdier or a cunniel. This Icad~ to an
im"tls" (.... IIng, f"lIowed hy IIona<;ljo" or delayed a,:uo". So, the ~hai n that
leads u) the paralyzing r.... ling must be broken_ The ,,,0..'<1 "«<>eli"e way It>
break the chain is to reprogram the root cause, which cltanges the I><>lief
or eonllicL If the underlying cause is unknown or buried too dffply for the
indi.idual to acel'Sll, th,s procl'Sll b«:omrs 100 difficult for the illdi>;ciual to
accomplish without th~ help of a ]Jro f~ssion aL Howewr, the mom ~fTe<:ti>-e
way 10 proceed is 10 nol allow the f~..,lings to de,-dop in Ihe nr'Bt plate_
Thi.. l< accomplished by taking Sleps thaI p~parp yuu tn acl rather than
I>e<:omlng frozen by limiting emotiOIlS_
Preparation is Ihe antidote for emotional overload. IIIhen a UII;led
Stales military officer was asked anout the performance of his young and
u"t""ted M arin~s In the Iraqi \liar, h<' talkfti anoul an assauli wl'~re th<'y
w,·....onexl"-'Cledly onder Ii .... . The sit uation was o,-crwhdn'ing bUI inSlead
or panicking, they .....'e"~'{) to their lraining and carne (I'rough Ihe aUack
admirahly. Their training had bffn So "o"'plete thal they were able I." han-
d le a sitlmlion Ihat was unique, unexp<'<:ted, and profoundly dangerous
withoul gOll\g into the deep freeze. Plus, they did n01 ha,'e access to the
resourees that Ihose in Ihe eomful1 of their homes have to dISpel Ihe ir fear
and panic. What Ihe)' had was ""mcUnng far more pOI<'nl Ihan ~ or
alcohol - they had preparation_
This is a 1IIen(;)1 rehears.~1 I hat Can help you p .... pare for t.~king Ihe I rade
mlhu Ihan <lffP frening:

• MenIally rehearse evelj-~hing thai coultl go w",ng and righl with tI",
best possible oUlcome,
211 O£STiO.CW TO BECOMIN{; ~ HWTRADER

• Make sure in yuur mental reh"arsa] thai yuu say p""ili\'~ wurd. tu your·
self thai make you feel good jusl bero", taking the lrade. "I will get
good resulls because I fullow my plan."
• WI,en you 8<-'C the ri)!.ht set up, rt'peat yuur positive ~tatcmen l
• Physically challge the way yuu take the Ifade, such,," standilll! up
• Say une pw;itive wurd whil e ~'uu click yuur muuse, such as, ·Yes'"

( :0 \"( :I ,L S 10 \:

Even Ihe \lest and brightest traders call face the d""p frt'eze when eun-
dit,uns suddenly chang~, "'hen roadblocks appear uut uf nuwhere, ur
when they al'(' unexpectedly urr their gam~ . Th~ experi~nc~ ur "ncenalnty
CM trigger a cl~~in uf e"ent~ by suddenly releasing negati"e fet'iings and
Ihuugh(.S fru,,' II pasllu&l ur negMive experience lung furguUen. (h'prcu,ne
by limiting ""If·talk and f""hng.~, the trad"r fails to a<:t. \\~\e" he rreeZl'1l, he
luses co"fide,we. Tlms, the c.yde ofl""" \legiIL~. Delow th~ surface is a r..ot
callS{' thai nffds to be uncovered, address<><!, and tra""runne<l hefo", il
triggers more eh";"" ur ~motional conHiel and inaclion . WhNher Ihis prO"
c~"" IS accomplished " 'nh or witho", oUlSide professional hdp, a troder
"'ust ta ke ,,'ep" lu addr~'&; il if hp is lu a"uid ur gPI uUI uf Ihe IIe><.'1' rr~'C"",.
II,· "eed~ Iu prepare- I"ruugh "'enlal re'l{'a""" - lu respun" tu each lrade,
regardl""'!! or the cond iti"'L~ aruund him, and rollow his n,les wllh .:<",fi.
dence and discipline.

M"k~ .'" I'e I"e .,IOI·;R' you 1,,1/ y(Ju I'.,elf "lid Olhe,." "u jJjXJI'/
Ihe life you wonl w have.
 ( . II\PIIII-I

The Price of
Holding on to
Your Stories

W~ all ha>'e ShHies that ct' runicie our lin'S and why things haw tumt"IJ
out the way tJ,"Y hav", AI lloo! glan,:", t.hes" stnries seem han"I""" "nough
hut the c.ost of holding ,m It) t.hem c.an be very higl" Instead or explaining
why thmgs I",,'e turned out the way they are, th""" han))l""" storiPS have
Ihe potential to dNemlll1e how things will De--a))d how succ"""ful we wiU
bccom~ in th~ fotllT('

Some storics arc more infiu ~mial than oU,~"" The mof(' w~ r<' HN!t on
a particular swry, t.hc Illorc powerful that st.ory and its n'e'<'lage b..co"'t'S,
The I",'pl of dNail gi,'cn tu our Ihoughts det"nnl",,,, the depth or the 11.<;.<;<,.
c.iated f""lin&-", When our r""li ngs hav" more depth, tlwy ha,'" n",re IIOwer
'" influence our behavior.
If ourthoughts aoout our lrading are pleasing, our "eurology will sup-
port us in folluwing th~ ruips of our tr-<>ding nWlhodolugy, flowe"cr, if the
thoughts are d l~h,rb i"g and are attach,",1 to actions that go against OU'
rules, a ncgat ive pattern of behavior is anChort-d . When t.h,-se neg,~tive
Ihuughts are repeated, hreaki"g the pauen\." "r behavior that are created
11e<!"'''es ",,)re diflkult bec ause they a", ancho red to aUlomaU~ hel~wi"r,

Recently, T ",urked with a trader named Jack, whu luved to relate storiPS
In great detail about l,,~ ability to prcdscly forecast market IUps and bot·
toms. Of COil""". h'" ror~'CaslS made moncy for ev~ryun~ bUI him or "'"

"
 ogSTACUS TO " KOldlN{; A to<' tRADE R

he claimed. "If I could only acl on my own ad,-;c", I would be a mulli·

milllonair("~· Jack dearly felt thaI il was Important for me to I>e aware of
thIS detail b<"Caust" he r("I",,,,,"<I it many lim{"5l>elw","n his slories.
As a lrader"s c<.>ach, I hav~ heard stories like Ihis ",any {i","", owr
(tIe y~3fs. Th~y are a co",mo" Ih~,"~ of ])t"oplc s,uck in Ihe loop of o,·"r·
studying and ,"·N.analyzing. Th..se ri.~k-ave"", analYSL~ would mlher ha"e
oth"rs act Oil t.heir prediction" and l",ar the risk thall take actiun and re-
sponsib,lity Ih"mS<!lves. Aft"r the fact. th"y can cherry pIck Ihe stori"s
about being right on forecasts of big Irddcs wilhout assuming Ih" risk Ih("m'
8<.'1""S, COll"elllently, they n("gl.-cl 10 indude "tori .... aoout when their pre-
dil"tion~ were wrong a"d ,.,ould hav" lost "'oney.
Jack <k'Sp"mtcly needed 10 ""courag.· hi",self pluS win adulalion a"d
applaus" from nlhers wilh his Slortes. I; nf",tunalely. the Siories were all
thaI he had 10 show for his hard work, Jack did work hard-the problem
was thaI he did nUl work sman. Jack wallled 10 find a new and innovative
shoncul 10 t.rading success WIthout ha,ing to do whal lop Ir<>d"I>! dn to
b<"Com(" successful
Sandwich!"(1 l>t'1."'"'e" his se lf,pro,"oting I.rading Slori.." were s,,,ries
Ihal r,,"cak"(1 Jack's "U ... , side. These slories ren"al ..d ,he Jack wh" was
andwred in negativ" h~l~wi"rs from a self.inlliCI~I. rlifficult life. Th..se
swries told of drug and alcohol abuse, high advcntu .... , macho choices,
mowrcycl" crashes, sleepless nights, poor nutnti"n, brok"n relationshIps,
and brok"n h~mts, For Jac k, Ih<'S<" ~tori{"S represe",~"<1 conch.IS"'" ,,'id~J\ce
of 1m! unique ability (0 take nsks in OIher areas of h'" life. Natumlly, he
fail"d tu ",Ial~ this self·sabotaging b"ha"ior w his inabilily 10 r"lIow his
Iradi"g rok.".
II<>w co uld a man give up hig Slories when his selt.pl"f'S("rvation and
i<lemily was so dependent upon Ihen,? Jack 's stories w",," extremely int"r-
esling initiallY, Their <lranla and imensil), mad" his !lfe a high ad,'emu,,",
But when you he in your ima,o:ination wllh such an inte, ...... slale of "m,,""
lion, Ihe ordlllary becomes bonng, Would new sWnffl aoout a lrader fol·
lowing his ",Ies aud making "'''''cr r",nl IhO<Se rull'" be """ugh I" suslai "
his ego?

\lOHI-; . -' ISln' Sl'OHIIlS

JOCk's life is not uI\;que. Mauy IrJdeffl 1I:l.\"e sturi!." I.hal ex]!lain Iheir fail·
ures an<l Iheir successes. The Slories thaI explain SUCCI'SS"" are g",,,,ra]ly
positi"e anchors, ""en if thcy result fl"<>l\\ adversily and lo".~. Traders who
have lransfomled adversity and loss into success have c .... at"d thelf own
holy grail or sec .... t formula for SUCC'-'Sll. The lrati«rs who hase a story
TM Pria of Holding on to Your Srori~<

JlI.~lifying
t!teir failurP to S"tteed have t!teir uwn magic f"nnula fo, con·
liHUe<! fadllrP Lefs take a look at six of the generie failllrP slories:

I. I run the \;et;m of (an utc'<Crupuloll.~, a ,ll.lwnest, rut incoml"'tent, an

overpric<.>d, a poorly t""t<.>d, an undcHesearche<!) ad,;""r, newslel·
leT, system, system d""igner, tradmg px<'Curion service, broker, t""lIng
service ,
l , I would haV(' b<>en a brilham suec""" had T not missed that single big
tmde, which slancd Ihe who)e d<'Cline in my tmdmll, h would not havc
happenNl (excepl rOT the bad day I had, the divorce, Ihc flaw;n my
system, the sudden aud u"e ' pt"ClL"<l tun, ;n \I".
,uarkee or ru<y of the
v;eh",;,;ng factors in the pn."';o"" slory).
:1, My "iff'lllll..b"nrVmothu/fatherlsignilkant othu ha.~ been sal)(>t.~ging
my trading and T ha"e no control owrlhem ,
,I, I have I"",n pennanently lraumatiz"" by something that happen<.>d In
my past (a loss, an act of ,'iolenee or ootrayal , an abandonment).
~. I was lraine<! to dea] wIth a (bu ll markel., bear «larker , volatile market,
static mar ket, lloor trading room , institutional trading room, home of·
fiee, or shared electronic off·lhe·lloor office) and once thing. change<!,
I Ita"c nCWT I>N'n able to find m)' rhythm <lJ!am,
6 . r w"," makinJI money hm,d over fist whe" J fI"'t sian"" trading and
something happen ...1 (a loss, a chauge, a mi~ta~e, a fa;lu .... 10 folio'"
my troding ntl",,) and e"~ryU'ing has l>et-n downhill since then_

ThiS is a sampling of Ihe generic failur~ Slori"" Ihal a .... capable of

d~..,ply St-lling a neg,~li\'c anchor ",hen theyart' \old o'-er and over again_
Thest' are nol jusl r,sh Slories; they are lishy Slori..s. They Stup ringing lrue
after Ihe second retelling. Professional traders expect to deal with los."""
and reversals, changes in the markets or trading: structure, Interruplions,
and other negative events that appear on the screen, instead of using these
ewnts or mfJuene{'S as excu",-'!! for failure. profcssional traders look for
",,1 utio"".

I.I, TTI\:.; .;0 \ 'I-:KSI.S KI-: U .I .\ '

I ..,TTI".; .;0

Washington r"ing, the father of the American shon story, was engag""
to marry a ocautiful young woman who was thc love of h'" life. She diNt
suddenly in the days b<>forc their weddinJI· This trd~edy affecled Inm ""
profoundly thai he never ,nanit'{l . Laler, he eonfellSt-<J 10 a friend thai he
 CMST~CU> TO BlCOMINC A TOf> TIlAD[R

was unable (0 think or (.(Ilk alJoul it for ,,'any yeafS_ At (he end or his life, he
wrote : "Linle "'i",l~ an. s"bdued by ,nisf",1"""', bill great min,l~ riS<' allt",e
iL" It i.s rliffic,,1t 10 know whed",. Ioe was des.:ribing hinH;eif as the f'>nner
0' the laner. nowever. the answer may he deduced from the fact that h~
went on to lead a me that was professionally successful. but personally
londy and unfulfill<'<i AlUmul(h In'ing apP<'arcd 10 , dc,""" his tragic SlOry,
hc """cr let go of It on Ihc Ic,-d that ",ally counts, th e unconscious lc~cl
A profound tragedy, a rminrui luss, or a It'rrifying nperiente always
p"ltluc,," a SI.<>I)'_ h l~ a natural human respunse to an e ,notionally d,arged
expetie"ce to replay the story in onr mi'''l~ giving it a narrative shap.., and
mea",ng. I..ike [>Ving, traders can hold on 10 their stories even when they
gi,-e Ihe impression of letting go. Their attachment 10 their stories can I>e
conceal<'<i wilh smok""",,,,,,,, statemcnts such all:

o Yon ,,-in some; yo" I""" s"",e.

o [don't let anything buther ,ne_
• That stuff happened a long lime ago and Tdon 'I du"k abuut it anymore.
• I can't evcn rcmcmber what hapP<'n<'<i .
o I"m nolthc emotionallype
o I juSllet il roll off ,ne a"d get on wi!.!, my trading_

Sometimes, stories nUl rampant through a trader's mmd but he sim-

ply does not share th~m wilh anyone lie may fear l>emg ridiculed, l>eing
.'Ulnerable, o. giving Ius SlOn"" more power o,'cr him. Whcn hc finally re·
lea.~'8 I he'" inlO the light of day, (hey are like dogs b.~rking in Ihe ba.'lClllent.
The noise ll'ey gc"erale re,'erbo.. rales S<J londly Ihal il pos.~"SSCS enOnnOllS
IlOw~r while itll s"urce is ,!oncealed_ flut the mOlnent the dop an. relea.<;e<1
("JIll the ha..... ment, they show them""lv.... to he relatively ham,I""," erea_
lUres that do nol bite

Tim ( :OST 01' 'I'LN\"I\'C; \,t:(;:\TIVt:

STORIIIS nlTU puslTn"}; U\,I':S

N~j(atj~c SlOri..,. all share tlle same powcr to influence a tmder's P<'rfor·
,,'anee whether they arc old SIories lold ad "a«$e''''', I,idd,·" stori,'S, or
sUPP"""""'" swries. They all po,,"sess the IlOwer (0 exCuse a Irader rm,,'
following his rul",..
A trader Cal, use t.he negative narratJ"es to prnve that he l. a victim
and is not responsible for his railures. Anned with his stories. he can pm"e
that il is hopeless to try and that failur~ is inevitable f<'gardlCSll of your
dfoM and Uwt Tifc is unp.<'<ilctablc, cruel, and arbitrary. The narr",;"es
Th. Pric. of Holdi~'1 o~ '0 Yo~r Storiu

can be used to prov~ that PN>pl~, including rumsdf, cannol bc truSlfti to

do Ihe righl !j,ing,,. 10 fultlll a promi"",. In Short, it is difficult, e~~n 1\~"1
10 iml"lS.~ible, 1<) maintain the hard ,Us<:iplines of a trading master in the
fru:e of stories thaI prov" thaI Sll~~f'SIl is l"'Yond ....ach, So, if the priCf' of
holding on 1o your SUlries is this ,'ersion of 'success; whal is the price of
lelling go?

• Fe ... r o f lJ.einll wro nll. Intelligent people like to be righL In fact, our
~gOB ar~ so attachfti to being ng.hllhat they would mthcr be righl than
successful , lwallloy, happy, and famous, The highest coot of ktl",g go
,,,r your S1orie,; is being w, ong and, unforl ""alely, for some Iraders, the
l"US1 is 100 high,
• Fe ... o r ltd n g ,·uh.er.. ltle. For traders who h.."e be<!n hoi<ling on to
sec...,1 ur sUllpressed stories, letting go of Iheir stories involves the po-
lential for bemg vulnerable. After all. rear is what pre"enle<! Ihem from
being ",,,ealed in th~ fj"'t plac~,
• F~ar " r th ~ lI nkn" wn . If yuu lake a l'a<.ler's stories away, whal will
replace them? now will he or she e~plain the past 0.])(1 pr",*,tlt, much
Ies.. the future? If tI", Sl,uri ... were negatWe template.. for r"ality, at
least they were pred,ctable The loss of this securily is a high price
for many

The cOM uf ",leasing yuur stories ;s rug.h Uld<'Cd, but nol as h;gll as Ille
COBt ufhuldin~ on w them Hcr~ ar~ Ihree sl~ps Ihat can be lah"n 10 m~ke
Ihe lel\ing gu mud' ~asicr W accon'plish .

S l ~p I. Wh .. n the 1..",,1 of pain that result~fmm I){'ing righl l~ high

enuugh, le11lng gu of the n~ga.t;\·e siories supponing your IlOs;lion
becomes easier, One "'ay 10 """ thl.'! facl is 10 list Ihe problems
Ihm haw "",,ultN! fmm Ih~ negative slory The fj"'t step in kiting
gu of your stories;s to Identify and focus on the pa;" that these
Slories create in you, life . In oU'er words, idenlify Ihe failu,es, the
10'<." "', the anticipation of los.~, and holding back fro," sueeet<., that
these sturi ... ha"e c ....med in your lif... Then, reaily allow yourself
10 feel Ihe pain callS<'d by being ,;ghL Once yuu have experiencfti
the lrue cost, it will suddenly becume easier to let yuur stories go
S I ~ P 2, When your goal of beIng s uccessful IS puw~rfuJ ~nough , It'lling
gu can h"ppcn quickly, Th~ secund step is tu replace Ih~ goal of
b~ing 'righi" wil!, I.he goal uf achieving SUl.......,.~ ,,. happiness, and
so "n, The impon.a nt thing is 1<) make thl. goal a powerful o"e. It
must have detail s<) you ean really,*", it. feel II. h~ar it, smell II, and
describe it verbally. You must have passion for youI' new goal(s)
and must attach illo a powerful emoliun. Wilhuul all inte".... "ew
 O!ST4CUS TO BECOMING II TO!' TR.t.I>ER

le"el of positi"e feeling and derail, your old swries will still hold
thdr power on', you,
St~p a Pmctice you r new positi,·" stones by ",pealing them w your-
"..tf each day. P.adl ti"'e you tell yoursetf the ,""ory il i.>eco"'e'l
",ore of a reali'Y' I" [aL't, it tah'S appro. i"'ately one n'on,h of daily
repe'iti"" for your n~urology to ac.::ept a new s'ory "nrl repla,y th~
,,1<1 ,me. Jus, renw, nber '0 tel! yourself u,e stmy ,,'itt, an lntenS<!
le"el of feeling and detad in order to make it reai,

ST/\vI\,f; OLT 01' Tim STOHl'

On October 31, 2003, Bethany Hamilton, a la.year old world",la811 surfer

rron' Hawaii was attacked by a H ·ft>O( tiger sJ'ark. Her lell an" was 'lev·
Nedjusl l>elow the shoulder. Miraculously, she survin,d Ihe attack. Months
later, l3e,hany sh"ck",lth" world when she "'a..
back "n her surll.oard . The
following summer, she plac"'lllfth in the National Surflng Cha,npionship5
and has won a fair numbcr of event.'l since,
To help othprs ""preome their swries, EJ.ethany has wrinen an inspIra-
tional book , Soul S~ 'fe,-, about ber cxll<'ricnce , What pm her back on her
surfboard afler such a ll'nible ill tack? iler l>I<SSion for surf]ng was stronger
than t.he story. In ract, Sl,.. '" quoted as saying' -I kuow I ha"" so"'e(.hi"g
important to say. Somethi"g that p"''11Ie need to hear-but sometimes they
get SO caughl. up ill the story pan that they mL... the meaning." IJ.ethany
lIe,'pr got caught up in her tragic story

How can you swp yourself from gening caught up in the stories of your
painful, frightening I"""",,? Once you ha"e told you"",lf the SWIY, listen to
what you arc actually saying Really liSien. Then ask you"",lf this question,
"Will U,is story e"'l,,-,wer me"- If II", a'lSWer is -Yes- and you r...,1 energi'cd
and "'o(i"ated to succ~,<-"{I and be fulfill,,,, by the Slory, U'en go rur il. Bu, if
you can hon".tly say that 'he story will deprive you of energy and the will
to """'" forward, then you need to rdrame your story. Uke Il<>th"ny, you
can simply reframe it as an aberration on the way to your passion or you
can rdrame it as a kamillll ull<'rience,
Rc.::enlly, many highly ~ucc"""rul political "nd public f!.llures have d ....
,'elO(l-t'd a non ·stic k surf(l<'e when caught in ",,"ssy, co"'pronoisi"g situa·
tions. What ,l\,.y ha"., lean' ....1 to du is .... frante the story so they oc'Co"'"
emp<>",ered or at the very least ahso",,,,l fr<lln blam". Most of us would
TM Pria of Holding on to Your Srori~<
"
h" "",harrassed lu th" puinr or paralysL< by thl" pubUc ""pu,;ure or the..,
peccadilloes; yet, th""" public figures mo"" forward with th~ir careers In'
lact be<:aUS<" th("y are not allachc<l W th("ir stories, This talcm for refmmlnll
should not a!>soln" you from leadin..,; a responsible life, but il will prot.crt
you frolll l>eing d'"5lroYl"{1 by the e"'otio"a.! blows that can crippl" your
perfon"u"ce .

EveI)' trader's lif(" comes with its fair share of pain that comes fron, un·
fOQ""SCt'n, una"oidubl", and in,,"ilable lo","*" and failu .... s. n,,, stories thaI
u lrod~, C'~all"5 f'om Ih"sc n"gan,-" ,,,perie"ces delen"in" his abilily to
f"'rfor", and I" rouow trading rules. If a trader wanL~ to break thmugh the
..,Ir.imp",;.,.-I I~~niers t" SUCCffiS, he mllst Jean\ the skill of lelting g" or
these stories. Listening W negati"c stories, even the on"" that ha"" been
buric<l or hidd~n from others, and reframing the", into posil;"" stories or
replacinll th"", wIth emllOw("ring Iloals arc the keys to kiting go,
Uut, the besl way to releMe 11i'lC",!)Owering sturit""!! is (u lean' lu keep
Ilwm frunl ron!1ing in (he nrsl place. [keo,,'e the no"-stlck (ro(iN whu"~
frames each loss as a learning eXf"'rience and "untinue ",oving furward
loward your gual•.

The "/",ices gou muke i" g'>u ,. Imd i "g Ulid i" gou rl'fe
wiJ[lun'iJ (III im}xJcl 01, wl,ethel" !/OU GI'e 011 Ihe I'(qht tmck
w1t"unl gourgoa/s.
 ( . 11\1'1111,

On the Right
Track

ily do so many of the people who want to become professional

W mwcT>! find themselves on the wrong track to thcIT dcstinations?

Instead of rcaehm~ tradin..,; success, thcy waste their prN:'OUS
tin'~, ellcrgy, and '"oney ill a long, flltil~, alld {,,'dious journcy thai Icads
to a d~ad clld. Here arc n"e "'(!,jor rea'lO"S why Troding Hopefuls take (he
w")IIS track:

I. They are trying to save time and money by taking 5honeuts to 5ucees5
~ . They wanl to c.npy or IK,m,w whal they think l~ the holy grail by 1I....

'ng or purchasing 5Om""ne el5<,'5 system or method without making it

their own .
:1. They adopt a tradmg 5tyle that makes money for som""ne else. but not
them because th<'y do not havc the same resources.
~ . They arc "into-wishing" and hoping that they arc the exception to the
rules or (rading and wallt 10 change the n,k-s as O",'y arc trJding.
l. They put their faith in a ·tradin..,; guru" who promises to tum them into
a trader 10'1,.." O,ls troding guru ca""ol "'ake a hying fron> tradi"g ror
hin',i;<'lr alld tll,,( is why he is I~aching ,

As we tak'" a d()ser .,K,k at tJ,,,,;e w .. mg tracks to succ.es.~. a.qk YOLlrself

if you have taken the ,,'rong direction at 50me point in your trading.
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 ogSTACUS TO " KOldlN{; A to<' tRADE R

Ultimately, these are the """,e people who wppon thost' who make
n'oney in u,~ ",ark~(.S_ They h(... ~ no ptan, no training, and no ca .... rutty
deveioPl-'{t, ,.... ,t"d sys!t'nl. TIley l>ccom~ the roddt'r for the ",arke(.S, the
inc"m .... prodllcing prey for tlw profp:ssi()naltrad~",.
What e au."". new troders ,,, "nt~r th" profession wilh suc.h a naive,
o"ef-inllaled ,·i.. ,,· of Iheir invulnerability"? To name a few;

• G.....,d
• L.azin<'SS
• Egotism
• Lack of expenence
The problem with the -into-wishing- approach 10 trading is that I! guar·
ant""" failurc In the form of IOSS('S. Tllerc arc no good If"dding l<'SSOllS 10
l>c deli",...1 frun' it except til(\( it dues not work.

U ;OURI\'Ci nn; 1101.\' CiR \11 . Pl' LSI\'C;

sO~If; on~ F.I.SF-'S mINK

Very oflen a "",ic." will r" llow 3 style that is ""I sui""I,,, him becau .... il
makes someone else ".oney. As we discussed previously, trading IS a ,'ery
personal and indi,ojduaUzed e(foll. What ",orks brilliantly for one trader
may ""ork moderalely for anotller and poorly for a third. Not only will
ttle resoorces, trailUng, and back!(round of this indi,ojdual ~ differcm from
anuther trader'a, his ability (0 deal with specific ti n' .. fnunl'S, liSk, unecr·
lainlY, n'a,hematiCai construc(.S, bOR'do''', and a host of 01 her Ilel'SUnalily
variables will be differe"t.
If you sull ~Ue\"C in Santa. then the search for a holy grail will make
sense. O1hefY,ise, the answer to su"",e"" StlU "",id"" in the formula:

hard work + intense preparation + adequate capItal + psychological

prepM .... lness ([>uildi"g dl'lCiplin" and d~ah"g wi\.l, your sabotage
L..~ues i" advance ur yuur trad ing) ~ Trading succ.p:ss .

IIOW 00 "OL K\,OW Wllf'; V "OL 'Mil OV

nu: WNOV" l 'M \«:1, <:
Y"ur trading has an automalic feedba~k syst"m to tell you wh"n yOll ,.,... on
the "'rong trac k. It is callt"d inconsistent R'SuJlS. When you are losing more
money than you are making from your trading, somelhing IS not right with
your trading m,d yuu are going in the wrons directiun , There are "nly rour
reasons ror your incunsistency Yuu du nul have,

• Enuugh <'<Iucatiu,"
• Time and ur muncy rur 'xmg" professiun"llrader
• A sySl.,,,, which lIlah'S '''u''ey u"~er cu.....,,,t n'ark", Cundiliu'lS
• The abili,y to lulluw the rol..s u f yuur sys,,,m

There i. a"other 8ignalthal you are un the w",ng tra<:k thaI i8 nul a.~
definitive as poor P<'rfonnance, Wh~n yuu a .... Hl>"ri~ncing emotiunal dis-
<:o",ron m your ,rading, you are un the wrong track, If yuu are plagued
with fear, ooredum, ur the r.... linS that yuu n~NI '0 gel more ex<:lIemem
onto yuur ,radlng:, yuu are also un 'he "'-rong track. Ad"'lual<: physical, em&
bunal, aud educatiunal Pf<'para(iun will alluw yuu ,u lrade wilh cu nlideuce
and a sen...., that thing. are suing alung in the right dirP<:lion.

( :0 \:( :I ,I 'S I 0 \:

There ,s nu exp'","" lraln to succ"'"" in tradmg thaI bypasses th~ s,ups uf

prc]J<~ra'iuu, hard wurk , aud ~uul!"i'n'enl., It is tn'e thaI Ihere uf<' SUme
e~cellcu( Slrall-gi"" ,hat Can cut 1.1", tim" and the amuunt ur luss yuu will C~­
P<'rience a~ yuu Ira,'eltuward trading suc<:es.~, but Ihey, IUu, n>quire plan_
ning, preparation, and the commltmenl of resourx;cs. Fonunately, once you
understand the requlremenl.'l for hecomong a professional lrader, you wlU
be able to read the roadmap to success and """,d al l the dead ends and
delu",," alung Ihe way

WlwllulPPY thoughts will youjocu-s 011 today?

 ( , II,prlll(,

Motivators for
a Down Day

\"en highly successful trade", ha~c down day!! when thd r physical

E au<l ",notional ""~..gy le"cl is SO low Iha( Ihey would ra(her just
St.~y in be<J . As dillicull (IS (I,est' down days are 10 deal will" Ihey
are a" ,,,'e'.present j>art of the hmnan ex!"'''e".;e. Ead, trader ha.~ a finite
number of trading days in hl~ eare<>r, and therefore the is.~ue of down days
is relevant as each trading day counts I't'gardless of whether you make the
moslofiL
!keau,;., they are COnlmon, dow" days can make the difference be-
Iw,..,n being prof,t.~ble and losing mon"y in I.he nwrkelS. II is in' portanl
10 lean, how 10 li"'it Ihei r nunlber and how I" hand l ~ the'" wl ... n (h.'y <10
occur. T" accomplish (hi.~, it is imponallt (0 develop an understanding of
what causes d"wn ,by. mId Ond possible .olation.~.

"11 " •.Un' """AIi\' HI'II E M

Richanl has a lot "f down days. Lately, half of thi.~ 3,'>-year..,ld trarier's week
could be d<'SCribed as a down day On low..,ne..gy days. his work is PN-
fonnro al half speed . lie Ihinks slowly and aVOIds doing m'ything chal-
lenging. II<' coasts Ihrough Ihe day until dinnertime, hoping that he does
nol m,ke a major mistake or ml"" a great opportunily. Recently, his wlfc
l>ecaool~ SO co"".... n\t-d aoout I,is ene..gy I",'cllha( she forced him 10 get a
"'ilior phySical Chl'Ckup. lIis dodo' cou ld find noU'ing phySically wrong
hIli could "ot provide any dlanges to SlOP Ihe d"w" days. TilL. wa.. hi. sit·
uation ","hen he call~d me for h~lp . Th~ first Ihing was to isolate the callS('.
:1(. O!ST4CUS TO BECOMING II TO!' TR.t.I>ER

.~nl- rg1-Sltlll"-rs

Most of our down days result from low physical or emotional energy Since
our minds and bodi"" are imerdCj}{'ndent , when o"e system is down, the
OIher syste m s.c<'ms to go dOI.m as wen If we a ... depr"""",, enootionally,
,,'e o[(en nnrl that Ollr bodies will also "'-t ll\ 10 I~ ~nergy. MallY (loople
who a .... phySically sic k oneil become dep"-"SSed or r~'d c II\olionally rragil~ .
The good neWS l~ that lifting one "y"lem "ften p",,;des imp",veRwnt to the
"ther system.

'1'10.. Ph,'"I.';,1 I :.. u" .. " Ikforc you look for emo,ional <"nCfl!Y saPP<'''',
e liminale u,~ poss ible physical Call'll'S. And , a lways eh~-.;k wil II your doc-
tor befo .... implen"'nhng a neW prugram. M;jjor ili lless"" ~lIch as cancer,
kIdney and hean d~""a.... , diru)of'tes, mya.'<Ihenia gravis, or multiple scle",..
sis hal'e symptoms wh~re down days become progressively "'0""' as the
body's level of energ." dro.".. Physical examinations arc designed to detect
th{'S(' m'lior systemic or organic problems , UnfortllJlately, physical exam·
inatlons rarely catch the more subtle problems that ...suh in los. >;Wlity,
Physical r.ncrgy SapPC'" incillde:

• Poor nutrition- A bad diet is one ofth~ greaU>st energy robbers fo r

lrade,,", Lo,,' protem consumption, combined lI' ith a lac k of B I'itamins
from whole g.-dins, wgetabl"", meats, and "ulS and c"rtam minerals
sllch as lIO'a."" ;" ,,, can cause a serious shortage of "nergy. Hefill~'{1
footls and alcohol can .k'Slruy a!ld displace these es..,,,ntial ele"'ents.
• l o", bluod s uga r-lJlood sug.~r levels ha>'c a profound efr...."! Oil your
daily energy ie,·el. mah days ~an permanently .Il""!'pear fur ""me
trad~,.,. "n~ ~ their bl"od sugar is stahilized. Traders who rely "II sugar
and caffeine for a quick fIX during the day actually make th~ i r ~nergy
problem worse as sugar and caffeine destroy the El vitamins that are so
>;tal W making en~rl!Y'
• Stre!;S a nd I"w ad re na l runnion_ Und~r jJrulong~'{1 stress, your
adrenal glan(l~ ~a" I"",o",e exhausted. \\~\e" thm happet~., yuu will
feel dnwn and have linle e nergy. YO ll tnay wake up fuur hours into the
night's rest and be unable to get back W sleep. In the morning, you r....1
even more exhal15ted, To get your adrenal glands functioning, elimi-
nate tbe processed foods and alcohOl, take '1tami" B5 ( Pantothenic
Acid ), gel uninterrupted sleep, and reduc~ your Slress,
• Poor sleel.- A good nigh. 's resl is ,'SI,e nlial fo r l"On,;IIUO\lS ,'IIergy and
,'itaHty. If you get to bed at differen!. times each night and fall to get
adeq uate eakiumfmagnesium in your (liet , the "leep pauem that yuu
Mollvo/Or< for 0 Down Doy :n

are eSlablL.hing is nul h~al thy and predic.tahlc.. The ,,,sull ,,'ill be a luI
of down days.
• Excessive dri nki ng a nd dru g li se-Useless, blab mon,ings lypkaUy
follow nightll when drugs and alcohol af<" overdone.
• Alle rgies-Allergies change Ihe produclion and funcHon of lhe brain's
"eu'olra"smilleffl. Sudd~n increllS<-'S ill pol l ~" or mold levels can make
a \radN feel like h~ is IighO"g I,is way through a hal'e all day .
• Lac k or e x ~ rd".,-Ir you do nol gel a<l"'lu31e exerd. .. , you will t>egin
tu feel51ugglSh and find it difficult IU concentrale.

SI'·"I .. gle~ ru,' )"ulllng OUI ur :, 1),lIIn Ill') lin .. 'u "h,'~ll' :"
( : m,~e~ Physical causes are the easiest IU address and Iheir slrategiC'S
ore usually sim ple al1houg!, lhey may not t>e what you w""l to t,ear, You
rna,' simply ha"c IU forget about trading on a panic"lar do" ... day and take
care uf yuur body. Only you knuw whethN you are duwn be<.:ause uf surn~~
Ihin! yuu aw, dra"k, ur too k inh' yuur body .

If t he problem is ex haus tion from a la ck o f s leep , forget about

lrading. Take the day orr and get IU bed. If II is not possible IU
take the day off, work but do not trade K('('p your stress le"ds
low and take good care of you"",tr, Thier<' is no cure for Ihis day
but res\.
Ir yo u are ,"e .ei), lire d , bu~ no~ tu 1.h~ pu in t u r e xh a usti on , t.~ke
a 10- I" I[,.minute C."'n.~I" Thi. will , e,i"e you for """era! hou",.
Stay away from earoohydrale5 al lunch or you will not be able 10
Slay awake in the afternoon. If your energy is marginal , Slick 10
domg things you can do automatically. Somelim",", just k('('pmg
going will actually t>ellin to r<'V up the old engines. 1I00n'...,r, a good
night's sleep;" re<luir~d \unigh(.
Ir f OU ha d 10" on .. ~h to d rh lt. m,d feel '*" 'erely d,·ple1..,.-[. , eplace
nutrienL~ ""d hydral", MNat,olism of akohol rt'<[uires Ihe body 10
use its store of salt. waler, and various n ,itami"" You will feel
belli'r wlwn Ihese nutrients are replaced. A li'aspoon of salt in a
tall gJ""" of water with a good muiti·.,itamin and a small meal can
work wondel>! for your energy.
A la c k or a( l,ivit.y can creal~ dO,,"'n days. G~t UI' fron' your des k and
fin,l a way 10 lake a bris k walk or gel I" the gym for a quick work·
out. You will f",,1 redtarg~d as a ...._.UIL A word of ca ution: Do ,wI
overdoi!!
Adre na l Ex hausti o n is lhe causp of a high percentage of down days
Sl-n-ss, emotional scenes, lack of slffp, a bad diet, and won)' can
exlla""t )'our ad"' nals and leave you f('('lIng down. Severe mus--
cle pain in the neek "nd shuulders may also de,'clop. This u,,~.{Jay
"" ogSTACUS 10 " (CQId'N{; A to<' TRADE R

emergency .... gime" may tI<' helpful: Pamothenic Acid (vitamin

1l5), dcctrulyl~ bUIlder.<, 110 caffdn~ or sugar, and no st , ,,,,,, for
the fj",! half of the day,

'I'h.' .:.".11 ......1(;" .. ,. .. ,. I r you ...-cog,,;,.., the worc-" of your down days
f,.",n the li~l of physical call.,*"" you ,nay realize thm ""rrl'<;ling "<,galiv..
phy,teal paHem.~ can ,\ramatkally imp"'''''' the quality "fyour trari;ng days.
I!owewr, this strategy may not eliminate your down days. In fae!. deter-
mininll Ihe physical cau.><'s of your Io>;( cncr;lO' may merely dear the d.-ck
for you to handle the und"riymg enlotional causes of your down days. ,,"',..
tional energy sappers include:

• P ~~sl m ls ",
a nd [)~ pr.,sslo". Depl"f'SSio" is prob.~bly the numher "ne
emotIonal cause of down days, In order w understand depression. pes-
simism needs to be understood first Pessimism is Ih~ pe,"asive belief
in Ih~ pow~r of Illc n~gali"e 10 conlrol your IIf~, The peSsimisl uni·
"""",lizt'S all n<'gat;"c expe,;enc"," bUI dC('ms all posil,ve oulcomes as
I""' porary up·ticks in a {luwn·tick "'0.1<1 .
• Nega U"e Erno Uo na J S (a (e ~. Nu maUe. w)~~t e muliona) label yuu
giv~ It--<\uch as fear, anger. ur sa<l""",q-whene"er you f....1 e",otion·
ally rlown you rleple!e your body's en~rgy. The """,., pro.:ess you u.'M'ri
to creale Illese do",,,ward spiraling emolional slales is ",hal you can
use to get yourself into a posilive mooe, [lefore an ~m"'ion, there is
""If·talk an{l bdor<' S<'lr·taJk Ih~rc ar~ piclUrt'S, Change tll~ piclon'S.
change IIl~ ""If·talk, and you ""ill chang~ the ~motional stalc, So ""
stead or creating a "egaOv" pictu'e of some bad U'ing happening t.o
you, ereate a picturt' "f sUlnething good that e an happen. hlStead of
saying n~galive wor<l~ 10 y"urself, tt"aJlSla!e th"sl' woms to a i>,,"ilive
stalemenL
• 8ro ke n promis e s. When we fa,l 10 liw up 10 our eommilmenl>< and
pl'Omir;es to uthers, we end up rC('ling badly abu,,1 ""rset.'..", IV,· Can
also lusc troS( in u,,_ln'S when we fail (t, fullill uu r pru mises . This
«ffeel ~~ especially 1'''Werrlll when failllre t" follow lrading rules or
Slral'1!Y 1'01"" ""';UIL< tn a signiftcanl 10"". Tile ,..,,;u1l can lead It, f,... ling..
uf hop~lessness and being out of control.

Outside 1'1flue nces If a Irnd~r takes ocHer care of I,is physical and ~m.,.
(ional l'eal,lI, (he n",nbe. or down <lays in his life Can be lin,i(ctl . lIowev~r.
oIh~r causes ror dO"' n days M~ con'pl~t~ly ou(Sitie or (I (rader's control.
For e~illl\ple:

• Th" wea lh e r--Changes in Ihe weather can create down days,

Geographic r<'g;o"" Illat expe,knc~ long spells of gloomy w~ather also
Motiv%n f'" 0 Down Doy
p~l'erie,,<:e the highl'St rate;; of deprffiSio" "nd suicide_ Sun light ap-
pears to influence mood and a S('lIS(' of wellheing_
• Bad ne ..·s- ~o one IS immune to bad news , It <:ould he almost any-
thing' a friend dies, a ~pou"" IOS('~ ajob, a bad ,<'Sult from a mffiical
l<"'~ or a catastrophe that "ffects otkrs and us, Down da,.,. may fol low
as a "-,,,ull.
• [""[a Uu n- T rad,·,,, who "'ork from ho"'~ ,,·;thout "'ueh h,,,,,,,n con ·
tac1 can have down days simply from a lack or S<>CiaI in1.eractiun .
• Unp[ ~asanl Soda ! En ha"g~s-When ""mNlne dedde;; 10 unlmd
his miS('», on you, it can leave you fffling down. Unplea<;ant exchanges
can come ",i1hoUl warning. Nevertheless, the r""t of your day can spi-
ral downward because of it.

SIl·"I .. gl.. ~ I'"r I"u[[[ng Out ... ' a ...",,, II.. ~· lIu .. I" ~:IH .. II'""'I
, :.",,,,,,, " nowing so",,, key irlfonnat;on is "ila[ Iu pull ing you"",,[f out of
a downwani Wj L~I'in .

Are you "n illi ro ve r l 0 ' " " exlrovert? An extrowrt gaI'1S energy by
Ix-ing aruund othe r people, An inlrovert builds energy by hein~ alone and
away from olhe "" lIow do you fill up youremolional en.o:in<'S?

Strate g)' One: Ify"u ar.. an extrtwert, get on th .. pholle and talk with
SI"""""e wh" likes to hear from you or 6nd a place where pe"pl"
c"ngregate and join in the eo"versaUon.
Strate!!y T wo : If y"u are an intro,."n.. find y"ur "wn cave and shut
the door so Ihat you can , ebui ld your emotional energy, Fifteen
",mutes of peace and qukl is oftcn enough 10 bring you bac k to a
stal~ of emuli(mal "'/11 ili"'iv II!_

Strate!!)' Thre e: If y"u are an "pllmiS!., analyze what pulled you into
a down day. Mentally hst H,e JIOsitivc lhin.o:s that ha"e happmcd
and all of your pfUudes1 acl,iC'lements. I~clur~ th~ las! ti",~ you
pullt'{[ yuur'St' lf OUI of a bad siwatio"_ Congmlul al~ you"",,[f for
your c reativity and courage and imagine how you can "'If' this t"
,..,,'erse the situati"n' FlII up with a sellse of power and lake action_
Rewanl "ourself
"
afterwanl "
Strate!!)' Fo ur: If Y"U are a pessimist, Y"U may need a friend to help
you . This "I",uld he somcone wI", Ix-lie'"" in you and has known
you [ung e no ugh 10 ""mind you of all that you h,,"e achic"ed in
your [ife . As a r>eSsi, nisl, you ,U3Y find your'St'f( piling b.~d neWS on
top of b.~,1 n"ws, making life seem hopel"""_
'" O£STiO.CW TO BECOMIN{; ~ HWTRADER

An effl'<;liv .. way (Jut of Ihis Irap l~ 10 use a reality che<:k 10

balance Ihe scales Look realistically at what has hap]l(>l\(>d and
ask yourself ,rlhis experience marks the end of Ihe world. Has this
problem "v<'r bN-n solvNt by others? II""" you bet'll able to rcsolw
exp<'n{'nc<'S of this kind in the past ? Arc you the only jl<''''''''
who
has evcr experience<.! this siluat ion? Onee you It,.,-"
ackn"wit'{lged
(hilt I his 01'" negal i"c ,, ' perie"t" is jusl a blip '-'" (he radar "",..,,,n
o f life, you are ready to pile on Ihe IlVSitj,"".
Lis! aU of the posit;v,," in your lif... nus exercise may seem un-
pleasaJll and you may reet resistance As the list grows, the scales
In your unconscious will begin to tip In fa'-or ofth .. positiv" !fyou
find this difficult , call a fri .. nd and ask tum or to"r to liS! posith-"
th i ngs in your life. A true pe~i,,';,;( on"" ntttis help ill tipping Ihe
scales.

Whal h"" pulled u<>u <>ul qfu d<>rcII d<lY ill Ih« past?

Slcllleg)' Il"e: He .... a .... four Slratl-gies lhal have helped olher'S. Any
oneorlhe'" "ould work fo r you.
1. R"ward~ "" T re ats. Some lrad~rs begin to pull oul uf a down
day when Ihey .... ward Ih~",lselv<'S, A .... ward u",consciously .... -
minds lIS of a time wh" n we ""ere happy or whe" we relt good
about oUISeI""s, Sometimes, a reward simply pro,-;dc:s enough
pleasu .... thaI our brains increase Ihe level of neurolransmille".,
T he... r<>ward~ art! nol foc anything well done, hUI fo r jusl being
alive "Hd on the planet.
• EnJuy chocolale oc a dessen thai is rich and d""adenL How-
ever, if food IS an addiction for you, this ,,,ward could make
things W OISe In your life
• WWell a " ,wi" ( .... ith popcono) thai makes YOII laugh, cry, ,>'
f....1intensely alivf'.
• Slay away frum needje ..~ly viulent, sad, and depre ..~ing films.
• Read a good book wilh a cup of lea or coff.... , Put your fpPI up
and lurn the tdcpllone off. Make il a yeal read that pulls you
",10 a dlrrcf<'nt world,
• WW ell your fm'orit" I"am or hil ""me baUs at a golf range ,
• Visit ur call SO"'....,ne yuu ha\'e nul lalk,'{1 lu and .... ally ",i"",
Make cerlaill Ihis Individual willi", S<J pleased "nd surpri.... d
10 hear frum yuu thai you will r....1 great al~JUI the call.
2, Re ..'ard s as I n~enth'es. Some tradle", n<'ftl incc"ti ...'!! 10 pull
themselves out of a slump, If thi" st ruU'gy I",,, work~d for yuu
in Ihe pasl, r,nd a re"'an! fhal add~ encrgy, "'ulivalion, or ex-
cite"'enl W yuu r day. If you Slldd~n ly beeo"'e energ'«'" by \II~
Maliva/a,s far" Dc .. ~ Day
"
thu"ght that yu" are guillg tu rewar~ yu"r:;etf with a Stx'(;iat gill,
S£>\ a goal or I;mtl ,md f"ll"w Ihrough'
3. La nllhte. as Me dicin e . Fur som~ of us, being able to laugh is aU
that is n,wed to recharg... our batteri..,.. f.a.ull/lter ... an be a great
and inext"·r",i,·,, CuTe fur a duwII day .
.1. MotI va tIo nal CDs, bo"k.., spIr Itua l '''.''''''''''8, and s o on. In
the past, hav.. you ..... fKmde<l to th .. motivational m""sa.IPs from
othe",? If so, tape messages on your eompute, and read them
w!,e" you Start to fccl youJ>;Clf slipping into a hoI .... R...ad pa&
sag..,. from spiritual books, IIst ... n to motivational CDs, or read
l.hp biugraphy uf any person whose tif" has inspi,...d yuu .
Slrate g)" Six: Call a pers"n who wlllliSI"n and pul! yo" ba~k "p. Just
talking with this individual IS ofl~" enough 10 get you back on
track , If a bad "ncounWr wilh someone has destroyed your self-
confidcnce, this pc"",n IS the one who will understand and pump
you back up ,,;th c';d ... " ...... of your worthln"",,"
Slra(e !O' S,,' -e n. Du un~ tI'ing \hal atwaY" pulls yu" uu, of a spiral.
Ea... h or us has a favurile a.;ti,;ly thai alwaY" pull~ 1I.. hac k_ Yuu
simply ha"e 1<) re,nemher what il l~_ Sin ..... trading ,,-hen you an.
down IS a wa~te of Imoe, you may as well lake an hu", or two to do
the ""e thmg lhat will salvage the resl of the day,

"\\"O 111\' \1 , C:,\\'E \ 'I'S

Regar<ll",,"~ uf what has call.wd yuu \.0 fall intu a duwn day , th .. relun, trip
will be faster, easier, and mo .... painless if you 1""'1' du"e tI,e preventiv"
work outline;:! III this art'cl .. , If you are physically and mentally healthy,
thc duwn day will havc a ""flcr landmg and there will be less to owrcomc
in lI...tung you back aloft. The strategies for lI...tting out of a down day arc
muet, ,nur... dimeull lu imple",.,nt if yo" wail 10 think of thc II' when yuu
are in H'e ,ni~dte of a bad day . Du uo, walt until yuu are in dire straits to
reme"'~r who 10 ... al l ur what lu du_
Now, re,;ew tltis chapte' and highlighl any or the ideas thaI ring true
fo. you and/or h,,"e wurke;:! in Ihe pasl . Then mak~ a list to foUow n~xt Ume
you are ha>'irl)! a down day, Changing (·'..... n "IIC thirl)! can make a differen ... ~.

PuUmg out of a down da~ requires that you acl s wiftly "'hile you suU
ha"~ son", semblanc., of controL You n,w to be able to draw fron, your
 ogSTACU S TO " KOId'N{; A t o<' t RADER

cX(><,riencc and body of infom1alion that consists or what you know about
yoor.;elr and how you got into tI,is downward spiral 10 begin willl_ 1.ike all
gr~at 'I,,,_
" "ion", Ille anSwers a rc i,,~ide you al .... ady- yuu jus, need to kllOw
whe .... to ["uk.

1)e/a iii'I!1 1/01'1" senses Iowani the oil/come I/OI' wa.lt i" the
pass i o'l /lw/lvill nm yOUI" al/gil/e"
 ( . I I \ IO I . H 7

The Internally
Motivated
'I'l'3der Part 1

o you know what n"",1s to he don~ \t, he sn~~f'SSful, but cannot seem

D to force yourself to do it? In"tead , do you find reasons and excuses

to shift responsibility and blame? Do you feel worn"", angry, and
fr",mated? Why do you f('{'1 badly about ,'oUf"dr? What IS happe"i,,": here?
If you arc Iwving trouble n,"intaining your trading success, you may
not be (rad i!lg from th~ right set of motivatiO!lS. I~k~ ,"OSI (n>d~rs, you
nlay n04 ""en be awa .... of 110" foret'S (hal propel you eact, day 10 snCCtOCd
or fail.
Are you siuing at your computer from 6:30 a.m. W1til 11:30 p,m. moti-
vated by;

• ~'ear (hal yon will not be able w make your nl' >1 n'ortgage pay",,'nt?
o A bun'ing tlt'Sire w buy a n~w house ," ncw "~pcn~i,',, toy"
• The need t" sh"w your in_laws lhat you a,.,. able to ,nake it a.. a 1ra,le'"
o The ,,,,.,d
to move illlo your OW)) omce down\t,wn"

If one of these sounds like your molh'ation, you arc not moth'ating
yourself for long·tenn succe>ls. When your n'o(i"aho)) con'~'S fro'" fOTC ....
uutside of yourself, your life will be spent sol"ing short-knll probl,'nlS or
n_Is. It could be satl~fying the desi,.,. to own or I)(>S..""S.~ a partkular thing,
meeting tlw eXpPCtaW>IIs uf uthers, ,>T responding t" external c"ndili,)(c<.
Dut, once the external and/or short-term goals are met , your level uf mUII-
vatiun will evaporate like fog in a hot sun lea\;ng yuu motivatiunally adrift
w,til another emergency occu", or you find another problem to solve or
yean,jng to satisry.
 CMS T ~CU> TO BlCOMINC A TOf> TIlAD[R

1'111<: IlX1'll N\: ,\ U ,\ ' ~101' IV/\1' .~ U 1' N'\IU~ N

I have seen a numl>er of traders "'ho have been working from the wrong
kind of molivalion Sen' raJ y{'ars back, Tom ,{'ada"<l his tradin~ P<'ak wh{'1\
he camed elloUJ!l' mon"y ill a f{'",' laghly succ"""ful {rad"" to mov{' his
r"mily inlo (I",ir dream hOllle. He Was al"" ,'bl~ to pul mOlley ill (hc bank
alld pay orrille (oa'lS needed to set up his trading busin~'SS. Since (hell, he
11"'1 strugglHl tn maintain Iti~ m",nentum while responding If> one {'rises or
fina",;ial demand aner ""other.
"1 want to do Iwuer," he told me, ' Why'!" 1 asked, Tom did not have a
good answ", 10 thaI qU"'"tlon and Ihal IS wherc Ih" problem is, I am nO\
saying Ihat he dId nol have reasons to wam to sac{'{'{'{\, He explained Ihat
his wire was nol wetl enough (0 hold dowII a run-timejoh all~ r a bout with
CanCer and Ihat Iheir medical bills "'ere a con'<lant problem 10 rl'SOI,·c. He
wa.~ also eager to prove to hL~ family Ihatthey were wrong in "ot supporting
him in his lradmg, lie wanted to show tlwm Ihat I,e was not ollly financially
secure, but Ihal he was wealthy by Iheir standards,
In his mld-t!mtirs, Tum is an tnl{']1igenl, educated, and auracllW' man.
!lowe"er, when h{' was growin.o: U]', to{' was not a socially suce"""ful
t ... nager. III school , his penChant rur mathe '''atics and s<"icnce made hi '"
tI' e butt or ridicule and butlying. Nu"" '<landing u"er six k-et tall an" having
",orked out with ",eighl~ for years, Tum no longer 1~'Is Ihe louk uf some-
one who ",ould aUraet a bully, 11"" -ever, he slill bears the scars of feeling
powe, l""" and unappreciaU'd, Twenty years laler, Tom is still responding
IU th ~ demands and CXpcctatiOM of oIl,{'rs and ill oul uf touch wilh Ihe
things thai are meaningful to tum,

1'111:: l ,oW.nOW\' 0\' ~IO'l'lV\'I' IO\:

Whal L~ Sof, iml",n,ru't ahout a trader's motivatio,,? T rarlers who Io,,,,e had
long, suee"""ful careers aJ'(' nearly alwa"vs Inwm ally motivaled, They are
suee"""ful l>ecause they are insptn'd to act by Iheir own ludd"n agenda,
whld, may e"cn be unknown to Ihem , Tradcrs who a ... inl{'mally moti,
. 'ated may nol n<"C<'SSaJily win mu ... ftghts than they lose, but when Ihey
hit (I,,,,,,,, ine "ila!Jle bu",flS ill Ihe road, (I,{'y have the invuluntary in(~ n ,a1
n"J,s cie Ihat prO(l<'ls the '" back up ""Iu Iheir r~'C1 and in", Il'e rray.
Traders who art' externally motivaled are mO"ed forn'ard by ~ircu m­
stances and/or by Ihe demands and expectalions of olhers, They wam to
be su{'cessful because of Ihe response thaI others will have W Iheir suc-
e""", TI,ey measur{' Ih{'or uw" wo"" ("rough Ih{' eyes of oIlI{'rs, If Ih('y sec
sucrCSS as the ""uree of money, security, Independence , and prestige, Ih ..y
arc "' o\iW'lcd to c .... ate Ih.."., conditio'lS beeal1Se U' ey want 04 he'" 10 feel
good ahOlJI Ihem .
If Ihey want 10 be Stlcc,,,,sfu l IQ a.'oid the pain "f failure, I,>ss, [Xlwer-
I"",ness, or embarrassn,ent, they are still being motivaled by their need to
gam recog!Ution frum the oU!.'lide world . If they are motivaled 10 su ....eed
in order to ""Ive a prohlell' or 10 c"en a score, once Ih .. problem 's ""lvNt
and Ihe score is Sl"tUcd, the ",04ivation diAAppears.

Where doe" inten,aI mo\ivalion ~om" fro",? [t would I", wonderful to say
thaI internaUy motivaled people always come from "Irong, supportive, and
stable fam,li"" and Ihat extentally moti"ated 1""'I'le always dev"lop from
dysfunctional hom"" aneVor instability, Howev.. r, this ,s not necessarily
th .. cast",
After n'any years of working with (rade,," , ",oot of tl'e e ' len'ally "''''"
tivaled pe<.>ple that I ha.,c work~,,1 wil h ha.,c comc from hon'cs thaI were
wilhin the range of normal . In fa~l, some of the n">s1 illlentally motival...J
traders emerged from the mosl challenging pe "",,,al cireumslanees-----from
situauo"" lIoat ....·ould make you wonder ho"" anyo"e could achic"e or sue-
cttd aftcr cxl"'riendnl! thdr ..",ly Ij",-",~
E"cn thc m<:r>;1 well-meaning (if nus l!uidcd) parents can turn out cxU'r·
nally ",otivalL,,1 child ren if Ihey o""."n..>k><:t the,", criticize Ilwm, or M~
,neOll' lIoem. They ~an also fail to give lIoeir childr"" respmc<ibilities ur
c.hoices and allow them lite freed"m t" ac~ompll<h Oll,dlor fail. Whal chil.
dren lake from their early experien..es and from their own unique ge-
nelic makeup can beeome a tox ic combination of th"'" dominant and
mol"'ation-rubb",~ altitud<'5:

• Po"'nl~ "" n ~ 8I<- " 1don'l have u,~ pOl<'er or i"nue"~~ over Ihe i"'por_
tant lhi"~< in my life . I am a victim ."
• I'ess imlsm- "It's hopeless anyloow, rn never have wloat I want, I am
a victim."
• l'aSll;';t)'- -I don't know what I wru.t or n<,<,d T don 'l d('S('.,.'c it. I
can'l get il for n,ysel'. I ha,'~ to dep"nd "pon olhers and the o"lSid"
world 10 p"-,,,ide ",' hal I wanl and n~"C<.t I anl a "iClinl."

ThPSf' altiludes are ofien so deep·seat...J that Ihe eXlenlally motivaled

trader may not be ..olls";ously aware oflhem . Regardless oflheirsu....esses
later on in life, these traders are never in touch wilh the lrungs that have
 O!ST4CUS TO BECOMING II TO!' TR.t.I>ER

broughl Ihem the moS! salisfaelion, pleasure, or joy. nwy fall to e!\ioy Ihe
process of what they do. Inslead, Ih" y soh'e shorH"rnl probkms and seek
to gain Ihe rt'gard of OIhe". sinc .. their own ,,<"if·regard is 101".

u.,w self·l'Ste~m L. Ih" single moSI slglllft~allI piece of Ihe puZ2Je . WII"oUl
a sense of wonhiness, Ihe eXlernally mOlivaled trader does;

• what he d",-"II for oth~ffl o' to satisfy ~ " l"nlal de"'amh

• not do Ihe Ihlngs for hlmSl'lf Ihal he should do
• nol kllow whal. he really Wallts or """ds 'If f",,1s

lInfortullat<"iy, satisfying Ihe expectations of OIhe", or m""ting shon·

tenn n~,<-'ds is nOI a pow~rrul enough pu.,,,,r;e to motiva,e a tra~crto do all
of .he .hings , Ita( he II.,..Wl'O do '0 b·. , SUCCl">Sful

" :Iilitlg In "uliul\' Thmug h

When Don l.. ft our w<'Ck"ml coaching M'ssion, It.. was psychologically
PUn'llCd an" full of ~lIthusi(LSm . -I can't ten you how much Ihis has mcant
to mc; he said as he len . -I ca ll" wai, 10 gel ""aned.· lie Was referring '0
the proc.".""" a",1 aSSignments Ihal "'e had de"el"l",d to bring him I" Ihe
nexl le\'el ()f suc.cI'ss In hl. trading.
Generally, after a coaching session, a client will take off like a rocket.
In the past, I have seell lrade". double alld triple Iheir profits wid"n w""ks.
Many of them ha>'e exceeded the milllon·doUar mark many lim"" owr, But,
occasionally. a di.,n, will fail '0 f"lIow through . This rt"SIII! is (llIi,e unllSllal
becaur;e I ser.,..n cli,,"ts for tI,";r I,,>'cl of motivation. It is "'" worth Illy
till\~ or their u"m"y In g" Ihrough IhL~ pro<;"",. if they are nnl g()Ing I()
do Ih~ work . So, il was a greal sU'l'ri"" to nw when Don faile<! In f"lInw
through .
W!w would caOM' a Imder 10 s!><'nd a consid~,"bl,-" amount of money
and tin\(' to bring about a n~ w level of succ<""" and then drop tI,e ball?
Why ",,,,,Id h., be unwilling 1-0 do ,he ,lIings til", are necessary '0 react' his
goals? n'~re a .... SOllle "ery guod aIISW",'!;;

• They really are n,,1 his goals, regardl""" ofwhal he may say
• Ik d""" not kn",," wha, h .. rt'ally wants.
• He is tryin,o; to pleas<' som('On~ elM' and not lIim""lf.
• He has faik'd to take rC"p"'ISibili,y fo. I,is own wellb.,ing.
• M",,,,y and a high le\'el or su<;cf'&~ are no, Impurt.'lnL
 "
T~ ~ltlg H" S I""l ~ ihnUl'

Failing to lake respoMibihty IS directly related to the three mOli,'ation-

""DPing attimd"", l'"wcrlessn<."SS. j){'ssimism. and passh'ly. All thre<' of
these fo",,,,, arc prNhcatcd "I' the assumption thm the indl,;dual is ultI-
mately nol responSible for his ""''' welll>eing. lie is 111 110" ",,,rcy of lif,,'s
(Ol\;es anti is nol ,he shaper of his ".m ratc. This IlUSi!.ion off"", a co,",'e-
nient way uul fur the individual.
The pro"lem wilh being I'xlemally ",,,livaled l. that yuu mllSl n"d
someon" to blame or sinn responsibility onto. When you .. mer a coach-
in~ rd",iollship, the =ponsibihty is ultimately with the one who IS I><-mg
coach ... l lie IStI,,,
one who mU'lt follow through and do the wor k.
~'or thiS reason . g .... at aU'lews arc always ;nlen,uliy rnol;,·al~'{1. No '}II"
has to (ell then\ to Ilraetice "igl!! hours a day. They bla"'~ IOU un~ fur the
pain, for the hard work, for the ",""rific,,", or for the ultimate fffluIL~. When
they are coache<!, they take full re5punsibility fo r foUowing through on
tlwir coach's instructioM, They are doing what they love to do, they be-
lieve that th~y art' winnc"" and that thcy dC8<'rw tu win, Thc"" ar~ th~
imcmal mutinto'" that propcl thcm u"cr th~ finish linc to success,

( :0 \:( :I.I 'S I 0 \:

Trader.;; who fail to follow through tu do ,,-hat it takes to be succ<'SSful are

oft~n ~xU'malll' mOli>'ated. Rath~r than beifl.ll motivate<! by inncr goals and
a 8<''''''' or S<'lf,worth, cxtcmally mOli>'mcd tradc,"" may be ""vcn to make
n\u"~y in Ih~ n'arke~., lu pl~asc otl,~rs ur tu sol>'e short-ten" needs_ Ultfur-
lonatcly, when t h~ n"""'" are "'el or the de"'3n,1s tu ", ..... t t h~rn oc'('u"'~ to>u
high to Justify the cost, the trader will easily lose the wind itt his sails.

One.; yo,,,, el!!}!>!e is SI)(1!'~'ed with poss/(m_ it !" oosie" to

keep it headed il! tile right direction.
 ( . 11\1'111111

The Intemally
Motivated
Trader Part 2

s o, you have come to the condusion that you are an externally motI-
vated trader. I nst~ad of actin~ from your own needs and desi,"", you
r,.,;poml to the neros of oth,·", and the demands of ci' CUll'SUl"""".
Yuu have alw "ome 10 the decision thai yo" no lo"ger waut to bt- dli"ell
l>~' .. xt.en ,al "'oli,'alio"s. You wanl to reach (lw higl'esl level of lrading 8'K'
"""~ thaI you are capable of Il'afhin& without toeing helrl bafk by th .. wro"g
kind of " "'tivatio'L'.
Excellent! ElUl, what ca" you do 10 change these dffp-«eated motiva-
tional issu",,? Time tFJwl is nol possible yet. It IS 1fl11""",ible to go back in
time to reve"", the m""""Il"" that you were gi"cn or to c'"""'" the ex""ri·
CIIC ~"S 11'31 creWed your sourees of ,nolivalioll, which in lunl, arr~"<:t.s yu ur
sense of self·worth. Or, is it'

"",, 'I"I'l\:'f; 1' 1"'~ 1'H ,U'

In my "pinio", on" of th .. gll'au.st advances In the study uf the huma" con-

dition is the development of our understanding of how we form our .... If-
image, \'1,y is our self-image so important? That deep, u"eonscious, and
imleliblc picture Ihat we have of o""",I ' -es is such a powerful foree in our
liv"" thm it bc<xJml'S the templme for our future anilud"", actioll.'l, and out·
Cun'..s. And, IIml holds a 101 of ],,-,Wer u"er yuur trading future.
Nuw, we \mow that lI' e process uf creating thai ""If.image bt-gins with
a highly eharg",1 exPf'rience or "erhal ~x~hange. TIl .. mure negativl' {hI'
 O£STiO.CW TO BECOMIN{; ~ HWTRADER

experience l~ the more charge II has, giving It mOl'" P"wu to affl'<;t us,
Also, the younger we are when the experience occurs, the more lasting
and powerful the impression will be on our psyche
Once the cmolionally charged or illHuent,al experkncc to"" occurred ,
we talk to OUI>K'lvcs about 't. applYlllg our own SPlil to thc Slory of whm
has just happened_ Ollr ill'c.-p rnation of t"is ~x t,.,ri~ncc is critical to wha,
will happen next, Por ~"a"'plc:
If we te ll ourseh'es tha, a bad experience wa.. merely a Huke or an
accid~nt and nothing 10 tie upset over, we may actually move past it. We
nlay even lay down a p,em ... of ourselves as belllg lueky 10 survive "-ith
minor dam....:", Or, we may thmk Ihm "'" ar~ prNty strong, brav~, and ca·
pable for handlin.o; s uch a bad situatio" so wdl. But, 'f wc Idl oursdws
tlW Ihe samc bad c~pericnc e was e mbarrassing, sha ll'eful , o r terrible alld
tl~~t we are u,ducky and powerles.'!i, we will f""llike a victim making us
vulnerahle III mllre bad thing.. happening 1o us, [ n thi.. C"-"", Ihe pi,:1Ure
thm we create of ollJ"S('l,·"" in our minds will be on~ of powerlessness and
vulnerability,
Once t.he picture ill c",alft! , we lay down th~ "oi""""cr, which can
sound li ke !lus;

• -I am soSh,pid_"
• "I can't lalk in p ublic without embarra.'<..ing myself. "
• "I can never do anything right."
• "I can never succeed fur very lung. I alway. fail in the end."
• "The markets hate m~ They a1"·ay. take bac k mure than they give."
• "I can ne'w keep up a winmngslreak.-

:O;,,\ice how al>solu\~ UK.,.., 81atcnlents an', They a re till!.'(1 wit h the
won ls "alway,." and "ne~~r"_ Th"y "niversali7.., t hl' eXllerien,.., in I.hc ,",U ne
way that l'essi rnisLQ rlu , In L.;om,," } 01" jm ism, Dr_ Martin Seligman's I,md·
mark book o n OfJl.iml~m anrl P""Sinlism. we leam how pessimL'l~ uni,·e . ·
.aU"" each negati..e experi~nce to prove that Ihe world is an unhappy and
unluc ky place fur them. T hese two dynamic processes, (he P""Simi.tic
wurldvicw and U,e creatiun of an unconscious ""If·image, intc""",t to cre·
at~ a motivation ·sappi ng self.image, The jll'SSimist has a bad expericnce
that he ,,,,i"elSah , es and creales an indelibte unconsc i"us imag,' (hat has
a pes..i mistic interl'retalion fu r (he voi"" ""~r_ Then, this image helps hin'
t" interpret all futu,... ex!",rien""" and sioal"''' hi.. reacti"" to th~rn ,
Each ne w experien"" unly pro.'"," the "alidily of Ius picture of lumself
and his life, reinforcing the pessimistic "Iew and its hold over hlil'. If an ex-
»<,ncnce is in perfect align me", with his image ofhimsclf and huw lifc is for
him , he g~1S (0 say , "5<..., (haeS huw it is." SI' uu ld an ,·xpc rience contradict
his piCture ofl"e way th ings are, I'e gets tusay, "This is Ihe e x c~ptiun_"
Th. Inl"n"l1~ MDliv"l. d Trod" Port 1

You can,..... how "MY il is 10 l>eco"'" lrallred in the prison of a n~ga(i,'e

,..If.i,nage. Even if you tell yourself that you waHt It, he suc.cessful, you
are actually being motivated by unconscious anitudes and feehngs. If your
sel f-image ponraY" you as a victim , you "iU cotltinually view you"",lf as
nUl accountable for your happiness alld success. Luck and circu",-,tanc~
will always be in Ihe driwr"s""at and you will u"conse,ously M'{' YOUI>!Clf
as t h~ pa!;Senger who is n'~rt·ly along for Ih~ rid.·,

A trader named Ben was externally motivated but wanted to change the
source of his mUl,vation. Everytl""",, wru; go,,,",, well for Be" wlulltc Iurnc<l
SIX "nd SI"rtcd school He was raLSNl ill a happy and stable family, but
soon di".;o,wc,J Ihal his happy and shellere,J honle lif~ len him "nh!t.mble
to aUac ks and manipulations of a lrio of aggrt'SSive and unhappy elM....
mat"", These th,..,.. linle .ni'l{'rea.tll< hJt'k one look at the ~weet and in-
n'lCent kirl a.t,d instantly identlfll'd hi'" as their p ....y. For the next year,
they told him that he was fat. ugly, and slupid, They teased and tannte<!
him, umil this one<> happy and S<'1f.confident child could barely sland him-
&'If. Of CO"""', Ihe lrulh wru; tbm he was a vel)' intelligent. beauliful, and
sl .. ndN yuung child , nut , h,· did tlm ktlow Ihe fa~1S, lie ktl .. w only what
he was lold. Ilis parenls wenl to the school and pleade-d " 'ith the It'ael\~r
It, BtOI' Ihe atta~k.~ but they were ("ld tlla! th~1"f! wa.. nothing thai coulrl
be done,
If we fasl-fo",'aro thiny....,me years, we find !len tradmg al home. fight-
ing 10 stay ahead of Ihe bank, the tax man, and the bill colledor He is
slrugglmg wilh his lradlng and unable to undet><l"nd why he feels so po""
erl..s.s in his ~rrO"S to make headway. Whal Berl does nm u"dersland is
Ihal his "","Se of powerl..s.sn'-"'S, hoj'lt'lesstl..s.s, and pa%ivily a re a dire....t
result of his ""If.image, A brg~ p.~" of that image wa.~ forged tn the first
grade classroom and playground,
What Den wlls himselfintelleclually is Ihal he is working as hanl as he
~an and Ihal he is ~ommitled to becoming a lruly ~u ......essfullrader But,
Ben's hule "oice lei'" him lhat whelle"er somelhing "egati"c hap!>e"", thc
.... al caWlc of the woolen' is Ihat he is unworthy a.t,d ;rl cal'abl" of cr~ati"g
su(,Ct'&i. AS a rt"",u ll , he looks (0 (I'e oulsitie to find the Wluliotl.
Another result of Ik,"'s low self.image is that he is nOl certain why he
is trading, lie is cenainly not doing il for himself since he does nUl reaUy
enjoy Ihe process and does nUl believe thaI he should be successful. Pan
of him is doing it because he Ihinks it will please his wife and will gi"c her
bragging rights ",ilbin her social circle.
 ogSTACUS TO " KOldlN{; A to<' tRADE R

\nM'r IS non: ~I ,\\, ",:'1'( -\1 .1.\ ' llil

I. \"I)O,:F. lsmn:1'nmS)

Once you understand how the original mOllvation-sapping Image is cre-

ated, you will understand the process of rcn'",ing those steps by rt'plac'
ing the negmi~e image ",ith one thm promOl"" f".,li,ijlS of "'onhi",,,,", ""If·
iI,,,,Ut1lnte, and the R'Silieuc~ n...,.k><J to handl~ "",backs,
H""'e"cr, th~re is "ne inlponant ca""a~ n,iS ]J'oce&> re<luires Ihat you
be "H>tivated enough .. <> d" the "'01'1.: at"j f"lIow through . EXlemally "w!i·
valed p"'~)le uflen lack the neces.o;ary level of self-regard \(J PUI forth Ihe
efron, and they oflen lack the optimi5m 10 keep them gOIng: when the out-
come looks d,stant and rufficult to acl"""e. For ""me traders, this Catch·22
is too ruflicult to owrcon'e by themselves, If you rffl that you cannol han·
die tl)is pnx'~'&i by yourself, il is a wiS<.' (""IN who seeks out help and
suppori.

~Iagl'Ottl'-I:tIHUglttg ""Uf ,'{'ga l II I'

Sdr·I'l'rfl' I'IIIlIIS
lie ... are the njne major steps UW are '~'<lui'ed to ... ,'erse SI><-..:ific negat i"e
self.images .. hat Cl"{'ale eX\emal"H>livations:

t, Id e ntify the n~ gat,,' e image. ThIS I><'gins the proc<'SS and may I><' the
hank'St to accolllllhsh on your 0"''' . What piet ure du yu" carry arou"d
of an ~x]lt>ri~nee or situat io" Ihat makes you feel pow~rlt'SS? You may
have n"",y "f th ....... bUI you wam hI stan with the earliesl one. Like a
tangled nel, if yuu pick ",II the prim~ 1.h.... ad and unravel it, the OIt",,.,;
wit] soon follow.
2, Re·~"perie n ce the eXlH'rience. E,'en if Ihe ~xll<'rien.,., is a really
painful one, it is Imp0riant that you get in touch with what il is that
you ha,·c crcated as an indelible memory
3, L i~ l ~n 10 r OUt self-talk. Along wilh the picture of llle exp",;enc".
listen to tlw wonis lloat yo" uS<' 10 lk-scritJ.e the e~]lt>ri<"IIe~ . I!o'" did
~'O" dellll~ y"ur life as a '~'Sult "f (h iS eX]lt>ri~nc~" What did ~'OU say to
yourself?
~ . Id e nU f)' t he etnotion. What is the r""lillg that you get froll' Ihis ex·
petience~ Is il p.~in. [",,-", emitarr...... mel\l, poweriessn,,,;,s, humiliation,
a.nger? Let ;'<lurself feel the feeling.
1. Change the o ulcome of the experienc~ . Rewri te the aClion. Once
you ha\'~ identified the negative image. "'mind yourself thatlhis eXIl<'-
ri~nee only exiSl.'l In your memory Therefore. you have the ability to
 .,
-"

rewrite II as you plcase. II"", "'ould yuu like this experienc.e [0 ",urk
oUl for you? What outcome would give you a ""tlSe of control, of self-
esl""m, of success?
6. Rewrite the volc"o\"~ r . Along wilh Ihe npw image and outcome, you
n,'Cd to rewrite your sclf·ullk pro'iding your In\cJ']lretmio,, of the new
"xl",ncn".. ,
7. Crea te 1\ new .. mo lion . To accompany the image and the vuicco"cr,
you net"<! 10 pump up the cnlu(iuuai volume rur U,,, eXJleri~"cc, II is
es.'lt'ntial «, ha",' a powerfully fell ""'ulion 10 go wilh (hiS IIel'! ;rn_
age. Emuli"" is the charge that bUnI' the image into your uac'>ll.owi" .....
mind. Without it, thiS neW Image will not have ",,,,ugh "nergy to rep lac ..
the old one,
H. [m agi " " the new Image . The pu ... er thaI the old Image has had
over you has be .. n ,einforced by the n,any limes il was ",played lfl
your mind. Now. you need to ,eplay tin" new image 0'·... and over
In yon. mind in its plac~ with the VOICet>W. amI th~ powerful emotion
You musl repeat this exercise e'wy day for a minimum of 30 days,
at least onc" a <lay. II is preferabl .. 10 do il ill the monling and in (I,,,
""eni"g whe" yo"r mind is deart.-d of olher thoughts.
~ . Ge l help. Ifyou're like """,I people. Ihl~ pn>eeAA may be Iwyond your
ability Tflhis L5lh~ case, work wilh someone who has Ihe expenence
10 help you identify and change Ihe problem(s).

When done correctly and wilh commilted follow-Ihrough, Ihis process

is amazingly effeelh'e It will help recreale Ihe image you have of yourself
and, withoU! dIrectly addlTSSin~ Ihe m. will begi" 10 cloa....:e your attitudes
aoout life. You will I><.·gln 10 fed more .... nergetic, more powerful, and IlIO' "
di, ....1 .. d. Soon, you will 10 .... ready 10 lake Ih .. nexi 81<'1' in changi"g your
"ou...,., of '''otivalion.
!len dW;ided 10 work wilh me . Sinc.e hl~ young predatory classmates
ha<llargely fom \ ~<1 his self-image, Ihe process reqUIred him 10 change the
old scripl.<; where his heeklers a!temple;:] 10 comince him thai he was fal.
ugly, and stupid . In his new senpt, Ik"n dN:lded that the mO!!( .. mpow .. n"ll
l·xperien" .. for him would bt> to bring in a lean, of eXJlt'rts who publicly
proclai,ne;:] that he was ha"dso"'e, sli,n, a"d brillianl. Ihs cia."Smatt"S were
sh"'ned i"lo apol<>gizing 1(> hi'" alHI a,lmilling Ihat they were wrong. Den'"
new ,·olc.""",er I'r"clai~lCd hi~l 10 be hand.""",e, sli''', brilliant, "',,! klng of
lhe situalion. He altached powerful emotion to his new image

~ I ~gl' T\\o-K,'lkfining ~o nr GO;II"

Once yuu II:...", purged your ,,,;,,<1 of its n,otivat;on-sapping images and
replru::e<I them with I""ili"e, e"' powering "nP.'!, il i. lime (0 lake tI",
 OMTO.CUS TO BKOIolINC ~ TCWTR40[R

",'xt SI~I>. Nu"'·. you have an engine that can g~t yuu wher~ yuu want
10 go. The questiun Ls: Where do you wanl 10 g'P
This next step may oc vel}' easy. But , if you haw ll<-.:n oPt'rating on
Hten\al ,,,,,,ivatio\} . you ,,,ay,,,,v,,.
have h""n ill toud, with Il,,, tilitogs that
~ r ~ r~~lIy jm pur1..a"1 tu you. Wh~n f~c ..d wllh ~ blank l>3g,', yuu may feel
anx;uus, cunfused, ur jusl plain lolank. Onc~ again, yuu m ay n...,.j 10 seek
uu(.slde help '" support, [)Q nul f~-.:l thalyuu arc orr Imck If you seek hdp.
I" my ,'xpt'ri,·nc.'. internally motivawd traders alt' lhe un. 'II 1\\061 likely 10
look ror UUl~i,l" hdp ito reaching Iheir goals h"cau.."" 1I,,':y are highly '''oti·
"aled ~Ild will e mploy allille available ""'onrc~", 10 Teach U'~I\\ .

( :0 \i(: I ,L pO 10 \i

The Urs. ~'kp rOT traders Who want. to ""place their Cart,,"""'I~,taging H·
It'rnal motivation with int ernal motivation is !O ""'cTSe Ih P fOC t'S8 that
cr~ated the negative ""If·images in the firs! pi"",,,, A ''''w em powering ""If·
Imag .. wil l m ak e it pos..,ibl" rur a lnider 10 bdie'·., In himself enough It> reel
Ihat he is worthy and able !O It'ach his ~oals. The n,'xl step is 10 find out
what 11,,_ g()a1~ ... ·a1ly are.
 I'\RIII

Letting Go of
Emotional States
Wilen you let go oj jeur, you lei go oj slre.~s. Wlum
you let go oj st'llSS you haw thejertilizer /0
growanylhi'lg.
 ( . I I \ IO I . H ' 1

Letting Go
01' Fear

inc.e 11--11, our world has I"",,, domi'~~IPd hy a sense of ""Inerabilily.

S The news mPdia is constantly churning out slories about dangers

in our surroundings, in our food, in our schools, and in 'irtuaUy
{""ry all'na of our I"-,,s, This baTf"ll" of f"ar m~"" from our "n>iron-
","", lrans]al"" inlo an i""re""" III f"ar tlooulV<ts Ihat intrude in our day-t&
day lives.
Huw doc'S this Pt'r.'Miv~ ""n"., of .,,,hwrability affe...1 a trader when
fear is one of he. great.est enemi",,? Ooes Ihis inc.rease iu a t.rader's le,'el of
fear begin to affecl his boltom Itne? And if so, how can a trader learn to leI
gooffear?

I' R,\K, nK,,\n, '\ '''\I ..~n' , n : K\'OT.;S\,,,SS

Th('S(' are really Ih .. four hors<'''''''' of Ih" apocalypse, f"ar, dr"ad , anxiely,
and ner.'uusnt'Sl<. Tlwy rid~ inw our h>'l'S luget Ill'f, spread ing M'SIrul1iun in
their pal h. RaU'er Ihan being di.s<:rele and s.-[mrale en'oIiun", they are sim_
ply exle[c.iu'~~ oflhe stat.e of being afraid. Dread is the f.... ling that many of
us awaken t.o in the middle of the nighl or firsl thlng;n the monl;ng when
we think about the issu"" and problems we musl face thaI day, Anxiety is
thaI constant and jo'" level of fear thaI has no specific face And ner.'ous-
ne"" is Ihat uruK'ulinll fe<'llllg thaI fills "" as we appr03ch a situation or
a pe' >IIm ,,-~ fear. Fear has many faces and these are JUSI a few of lhem.
 LETTING Go OF EMO TION' " STATES

Th""" f~cl;ngs arc aU pan oflh~ "",,'" lhing, and \.'h~n wc l~am aoom onc
ur them , wc arc simply I~am ing aoout another fal..,( ur fear.

TIlt' I'('~trl'lIl Tr~lth' r

What is the eff""t of fear on a tradcr? A f~arful trader sees and hears unly
a fractiun uf Ih,< infumlatlOn Ihat com"" his way . lis a r"""it , h~ muk""
deds;o"";,, Ihe dark. Tu compound the problem , fcar slow" down his r..-
aclio" time, "'-' (hal h~ may b~ .... acting (ou la\~ (0 i"con'plete i"funna_
lion . Tu cXplo .... \I'e problcn', a "'<liu, corporation st"dj~d (he clTt><,;ts of
fear and inUmidation on Ihe transmissjon of imponant dire<;ti"ffi ,,'ithin iL'
organization . They w~re greaUy surprised at the resuIL•. Frum the pl"ffii_
dent to I""
vice j}l"ffiidents, Ihe message lust some of its impact. From the
vice j}r"sid~"18 to theIr g~n'Tdl ma"ag~"., il 10& " ourc uf lIS substancc .
By th" lim" lhis sam~ dlTCCllvc had reach(,([ Ih" wurk~rs at Ihdr desks,
''Ny lillie "f th~ uriginal nwss"g~ s" ,,"·j'·ed. The .... awn (iW ~ach sue-
n"""i"" listc"er had lUSt so ",,,,,h uf (hc m~"SSa g ~ was that he fclt intim_
idatl;(! by hi9 ,uperior and was tlm.~ unable I." OJl\eentrate on the actual
nlessage.
Innumerable studies have cunfirmed the fact Ihat wh<>n people gel ner-
vous, they get stupid. T""I anxi~ly rcnd~rs brilliant studentll unabk 10
thmk. I\c,,"'uusncss prc""ntlltmders from acrcss;ng thdr creati,·c imelli-
g~nce and abilily to prublcII' 8OIv~. It douds o"r judgllwn(, n,nd~ring liS
h~lpless, like a d ..... r i"""wilj'ed by the unwilling car lights- And f~ar takes
energy away from the "ery act of .ul'illg problems and achieving ,"""ult.•.
In an August 2001 interview in the Alla,,/ic MomMy, David Allen, the
guru or personal organization said that we awaken at 3:00 am. in a state
of anxi~ly o"er all th~ Ihings thai w~ ha"~ nO! done. !Ie s.ay8 thaI Ihe anxi-
ety abuut th"".. undon~ tasks c reales"an all-]Je,'''"",,'c stress factor whose
",-,,,,,-'c can't be pillflUintt:d"' and !.ha( these (!lillg;> ~wy "II ""r mind, Cre-
aling stl"ffi.~, sapping elwrgy, and preventing liS frum doing the ,'ery thing>;
we are worrying al .. lUt and rearing. iii, s"lulion , whieh he IIuUinl'S in his
Ilestselling book, Gell il'!I I'll ;"!lS Do"c. nw A ,./ of Siress-Free ['",dueli,~
ily, is 10 get dungs off your mind through a series of simple techniques
tllat allo", yo" to gel them dune mpidly. Th~ more Ihey stay on your mind,
tl'" I~ss you ~re able to cOllcentrate on completing Ihem . I""t~ad of man-
aging stulT, priorities, and U'"ugh(.S abo,,( gelting ti,ing" dOlle, ~'U" "'anage
",,\iOIl .

' FaUuw., JalO\<'"8- 2W~ ,"Organize y",,, Ufe" AU"m;c M<Jg<Jzine. J"ly/.\u~HSl.
III'pJ"'-'ww d l~31I."'Ic .~om/~alll",/llI"~hh·e!200Wil'-'<WI "iz .... )·,-,,,,_tif"/3t5&.
Th,' Four IInrs,'uwn ul' l ,dUng Go ul' F,'llr
lief'(' are four steps toward leHing go of fcar.

I. 'I'al"ng \l"II,on In hisl>ook, David Allcn points out o"~ or I.he fLrsl
and most impoMant keys 1<, INti'lg go of fear Taking ac.lion . Another giant
in the field of human deve]opm .. ))t, Tony Robbin.~, is al<;(J a big prt~l<ment
of taking action as the antidOie to going in circles in your life. Both of these
mcn recon,mend the sallIe slmlellY- thal you haw to decide what is Ihe
n{'Xt step 10 take, ~nd Ihen com mil to it and take 11. TIm! step should be
smalt, in raet, VCr)' smatl, ""d imnwdialcly ach i,'valll". P.,amples of la king
"small, achic,'abl" 8I.~p ar{':

• I.ll<,king up a phone number

• Making a phone call
• locating all address or a piece of infom,atio"
• s"nding off a letter or email
• fluying "Simple fitingSYst~m at a" omee supply hou~
• Cleaning oIT one con",r of your M>sk
• Starting a tile in your ~omputer

Taking even the smallest BcUon f'('duces your level of fear regardless
of its SOUfCe, or thc level of risk in,·olvcd. or Ihe level of fear you arc cxpe-
rienelng, Fear drops " way as you W ke the smallest action for Iwo f'('aso,1.'I:

• Tak ing action rcnlo"~S or rt-duc-eo; though'" of Ihe problem

• Taking action immf'{liately starts "ol\ing the problem

Stop thinking or limit the amount of Ihinking you do about a problem

by wrillng down Ihe ne~ t action you must take and Ihen wking it. Think-
ing about a problem uses up {'ne flO' and &"ts up roadblocks 10 sol'in~ Ihe
probl~,", thereby increasing your fear.
The Jlrobl~ ," for a lot of ,raders is that (I,{' dread le"cl is so high (1131
they need help in overcoming that hurdle . That learL~ me to '''Y se.;und key
to INting go of fear.

2. Ilu lid In;c In N,,",;"~ls I reward myself all day long for accomphsh-
IIIg Ihings I df'('ad doing Uke c"{'ryone else. I haw lhings I would rather
a"oid bul I ha"" trained "' yst'lf to reward n'Jo""lr for ,a king aliio". So, in ·
stead or fOCUSing on ,he Ihing I dread, I focus 0" Ihe reward . T hus, I am
",warding myselr ~ont.inually, while .... inforcing in my neul"t)lo&y the a.<;.,,~
~"'tion l>et"· .... ,, doing things T dread and geu"lg rewards, This powerful
 LETTING GO 01' [ MOTlONAL ITATl5

condilioning aJlow~ me tu a<;~OInpll~h tlling< tI~~t leave ",ust p<'<",le I).~ra_

lyzed with apllreh(>nsio"
Some lips for prOOu~tng the best resulf.'l are as follows. T he bigger Ihc
fca r and dr(>ad, Ihc more compcmng ~hould l}{' thc rcwam It is a question
of cnergy and momentum. You haw to o,'crcomc in .. nia "'ilh more encrgy
(han i( t.~kt'S to '''o,'e an al ready movi"g obj~"':1- !Jut, if Ihat ubjecl is '''uvi''g
ill Ihe uppusilC dir....:tiun. it I.a k,·s e"en IIIure energy. If yuu are acti"l"iy
avoiding doing something yon dread, then you "' ill n"...-l to PUI more energy
into the system to reverse yuur negative movement T hat incnoased energy
comes in the fornl of a bigger rewart!, wruch repre.... nf.'l a larger incentive
for us to r ..wr.lC our dir<'Clion
Thin k oHto .. thing you dread the most, For many p<,<.pl .. , the thifl.l!S they
fear the nl<.Ol( involve dealing wilh olher lI""ple because tt,CS<' exchanges
c.an result in humiliation and/or noj<';:tion. Right arter these rears c.ome Ihe
fear or loss and pain "lUI the w,kl\own . If you aff' foreed t" 'leal wilh the
fear of these potential elemenf.'l, you will need to build in sume puwerful
incemi,-es tu motivate you.
So, stan dcvdopin~ a list of rewards and mcent;""", Begin your list
with Ih .. smallest fCwardsand ~o right up w the most outrageousoncs, The
pro ,"ise of a n'lIior reward anN tatkling a "'lIior fear has 1'~IIJe<.1 countless
traders to (,,"~reome roadblo,;ks in (heir Ii,·",. On~e you have rlone "'''',...
thIng you fear o,,~e, anrl you have rewarde<! yuursdf, you are less anxious
th ~ next time you musl face the same fear.

:1. O .....·lng \'tour \lind T his step is probably th~ single mosl effecli'-e
step in managin.o: fcar, The ad of ktunll go of f.. ar by cl .. aring yoor mind is
nO! something you can dojusl by .... illing il to l){' so, !t ,s a skill that comes
fron' pra<:;tice, Md de"elops o"er time afl~r a serious co'''n'i\m~nl to the
prucess.
The only effectl"~ path I know to leUing go L~ thf<lugh the mind_
clearing praCtice!! of meditation amI/or prayer Although prayer may be a
useful tool for sume , in my experience meditative practices produce the
"'ost <'ffeclivc It'sults ;n l.. tting go, Most ""'ditat,,·.. pf"dClices " ill aUow
you w let go of thoug!,ts of f..ar, anx;ety, dread, and n .. rvousn('SS,
Meditatio" is U'e art. of stilling the mind by fOCUSing ,>I, (he b .... ath or
asingle "'lUnd like "ah" (thL~ ""w,d L~ known a.~ a mantra). Once lhe mind
quieL' d",\'1', fearful thought. lose Iheir power and they si, nply Ooat away.
The result is that the mind fails to send messages to your adnonals to re-
lease cortisol and adrenaline each and every Ume you have a fl""ting fear-
ful thought dunng the course or th .. day Not onl;; do you no longer reacl in
a kn~..,..jerk fashio" to the steady Sl.rcarn of fear (houghls, but yuu SO<In d''''
cov~r that you ha"e fewer and fewer uf th""" fear thuughts. Instead, your
 III

mind Slays cI~ar. you can (hink. and you ha,'" tOlal a~'<.."eSS 10 YUllr " .... ati""
intelligence,

" . S .... klng Iidp Son\t'ti"'~'S. Ihe solution to a prob l~," lit'S o"(Sid~ of
us. When your le,·el of f..ar rises ahove Ihe manageable level. one of Ihe
faslesl :mrl rn,,.1 .. ffecllv .. ways \0 reduc .. Ihat level and 1..1 go "ff.. ar is 10
tell sorn~one aboul YOllr f<'ar Often Ihp result IS an immedialp reduclion in
your fpar. Tal king aboul your fear is like openUlg Ihe basement door and
kiting out Ihe r..""",,,,e. barking dol\'! belov... Althou.o;h Ihe sound may bc
lerrifying when you cannot,..... Ih .. cauS<' of il, just ol'e!Oing up th .. door
and I~tting the Cau"" of U'e I~rror ~", .. rge inlo dayli ~h l has (10" im n",diale
effect of taking away ils power to frighten . SU'hlenly. YOll see Ihal they are
JUSI rlogs wagging Iheir t.ail~. dem:mrling food and a ,,·all;: nlll'<irle.
The Iwo besl !"<'SOur..es for ""eking help oll\.'lide of yourself are·

I. Talking 10 a fri~"d or fan,ily men'b<:r_ Renoe,nbcr 10 find SOn',·..",e

you can trust to actually lislen. il is i'''pu'lm'' thai you can si "'ply .. ~.
pres.~ your fear "ilhou! interruplion. corre.;tlon. helpful ad'·ice, and
judgment, Once you have e~pressed your fear. leI your own words .....
veroerale in your ear so Ihal yuu can hear yourself. If you can hear
yout'S<'lf. YOll will be ablc to assess the rt'alny of YOllr siluation much
more objecliwly Ihan when you wert' worrying abolll it sikntly Wilh
a more obj~'Ctiv~ I<~ke on Ihe fear. YOII Can asst""" Uw cause and the
1l<)S.~ible steps you can take I." s"lve the problem.

~ . Working with a prof.....'i,mal ~ou"selor-&"n .. lim .... for '''''1'

g'N)(1 rea·
son.'!. you may "ot wam tu reveal your fears 10 someone you know.
Or YOll may ha,·~ already tried to lalk out your fears wit!toul success
Or the cau"" of your fcars may lit- 100 d{'{'j) or hidden for you to d ..al
wtlh you"",lf. If you ha'·c 1l"..on",,'OIiS ""boleu", at work. YOIl will find
I.hal nonnal S(ral~gil'S Iu It-( go uf yO lOr f~ars du "o( j'dp. This is Ihe
lin'" 10 wurk wilh a proresl;ional 10 "n Co'·er Ih~ SOllrc~ or your fea""
'>T your i"'~hilily to leI them go. Find a professional cuutl." ,I"f wh" has
a trac k record of getting rapidly 10 the root of a problem and resolving
il equally rap,dly, ralher than commit you 10 long·tenn tlterapy with no
end in Sigllt.

I have worked wilh a faJr number of traders who were ""e",,·helmed with
fcar "lid aru:iCly, R..gardlcss of how their problems ,,·illt fear b<'gan, o'·er
lime Ih ..y all begin 10 " xlK'rience the same kind of COruK'QUenc""" Loss of
 LETTING Go OF E" OTION'" STATES

co"ceruration and focus, Inability 1<1 follow Ihelr trndln>( ruJ'''', Increased
1""",-", in ll'~ n'ark~(.S , d,·tenorahon ,A physical w~tI ·bei ng, 10&> of self·
discipline, proble n'. will, lI'dr in'fl<Jrtunt "'Iationships. TI'e I;,;t goes on
and on,
The g,,,,,1 new. is thai there is a strau.gy that c.al\ qulc.kly and erre<:.
tively reduce your fears and aUow you 10Justiet them go The first SWI' of
Il,e strategy begin" with laking action; small, easy aelio"" that can imme·
diately aIT",,1 the source of Ihe fear will emfl<Jwer you and instanlly !«luee
your level of fear, Th~ ""<'ond 81ep build~ on I.he (lrsl by introdUCing re-
wart.ls Uta! .nake you wanl to take action . Th~ Ihi rd step h~lps you lU leI
gil hy dearing yuu, minrl of rear thwugh n",<litm.ive pr.l<!tice, And the final
su.p giw", you a safely valve for your feeling.. by allowing you tn release
them safely to a caring listener or a trained counselor who can twlp you
to >(ct m the root of your fear.;, In a world in whIch fear con,,,,, al a trader
fron' ':"'"cry comer, II is essenllal (10m he or she let go of fear befo", fear
takes conlrol of the \.'10 ...·1 .

/(esenlmcn/ is a>l e1lwlivII that you gel w keep wlu-'1! !lOll

do /lot forgive youn;elf for wilY yOI' look IIwfeelillg on ill
Iheji'"1>"II'/"re.
 III\PI •. ltlli

Letting Go of
Resentment

f !I,~ .., l. one Ihing that eac.h of .... shares wil1\ trod~rs, il is the n/'f'd

I 10 handle negative emotions so that Ihey do not sabotage our Itfe. In

an a,-"rage "'orkday. a trader often has to deal with Ihe roller coaster
ride of emotIOns as a trade g0<'8 wildly lfl th~ wron~ dirN:tion and Ihen
wildly In the right on.,........,r \l ce ""r.;a. G"",d, f~ar, sha",e, "'gr<'t, ang~r, and
aotiCipation __ ,atl l,h~'Se "motions ~'O"'e on without wan'ing. G .... al trod"",
""I,..riente (hem along with struggling trode"'. The dilTe ....""e is how t ht,y
handle them ,

IIH'UI.I\,fi TO\,"; ImOTIO\'S

One of the ",ost toxic of all ~mol;ons is rt"SCnt",~m . Often, ft"SCmm~m

occurs as a result of a loss aud loss is the nao'e of the ga'''" for traders.
If a troder feels resfjOo"ible fo r the loss, he will 1001 k..,l """"olmeol_ I-Iul , if
he feel. thaI he is ,,,II resf'<ltc<ihle fur Ihe loss, resentment wi!! onen follow.
Fur traders, I"sses "all <>e<;UT f,,. reason" Ihat are heyomllheir "omn,l, thaI
is, Iheyare lhe result of actio"" by others thai are unethical, irTeSPQlIsible,
Ilretial<>l)', careless, and Ihuughtless, or llu",ly accidental. For exan,ple:

• A trader may I,ave lost a greal deal of money in the markN h,-",aUS<' his
lrd,hng "''''' sudd~nly inlerrupte<l by a Il"""'''
w ho should ha~c kno"-n
ocHer, such as a spouse who d~",andcd Ius altemion for a InviaJ
.... a'lOn.
 LETTING GO 01' [MOTIONAL STAT[s

• Or he may ha"e expcri{'nced losses created by a market that was artlfi·

cially man ip"lated by an in{Ii"i,l"al or gro"p Ihal r~alX'() greal r~wards
ror Ih~ m sdv"" while in~"ni"g leni bl{' I~ ror i""oc~ "t i""eslOrJl
and (raMI'S.
• Or a lroder ,nay It,..." enlere<i into a l'artJlership with one or ,nore
trade rs who feadwn>d their nPSt(s) at his expense or misrepresented
thei r situation or made bad busin""" d""lSions that cust 101m dearly
• Or a trader may have purehas<>d a tradlllg systcm lloat came wilh g"" r'
ante"" or infi all..1 rt",u lts or ",i,srep resenl<l1iorlS, only to disco>'e r its
problen's, with no r...:ourse, tou latc anti aIler lou much loss.
• Or a tmrier may ha,-e use<1 a busin""" "''''\'i~e, su~ h as an lK;cuu nlam
or compuler support company, which provided such bad ""r.ice that
il re5uited in losses in his trading business.

Any one of a long );"t of experiences in a trader s day can ,,'Suh in a I"""
of his focus and productivity Some of these {'xperk nccs arc SO small that
they quick ly roll 01T his Skin; but oUrerJl may r('S,,1t in St'riOl'S an,Vor per-
,nallen! changes. Tlw resulting C"SL~ In the trader ~an bree<l r"""n[me nl.,
whi~h can eat a way al his i'L<ides, dl,'erting his fo,;us, and draining hi.
energl..,.,

When the plane earrylng NBC Sports chairman Dick ElI<'rsol and h;" two
sons crdShed , the older son w,,", able to drd.'l his father from the bum -
in~ plalle, but the younger son pel18hed, It appeared as though Ihe crnsh
,,'as caUSt'd by I'"rnan error co"' pounde-d by bad weather. lIuwcv~r, when
aske-d about her fe<,'lings aboul (I'e Img~dy, the buy's mutl,,"r, television ac-
t res.~ SIL""" SL James, e~plained Ihat s1\e had always told h~r ~hil<ln>n to
live hy the following axiom:

"Fee!i"!1 I'ese>,lme>!i is like ra k ;"!1 ""is,,,, 10 kill Ihe perso" ",ho

",,'(miJCd !IOU,"

This bra"e mOlher had Instantam'uusly let ~u of any biU('mcss she

coultl ha>'e legitirrrately r~11 ro r the pil,,~~ ur ai r-trani(: controller or ai'l)laM
"'a",,rac( urer. Irtst('ad or lI<'aring rcse"l "'~nt ror 1h~ death or her you"g~r
"u", wilhoullosing a beal-, sh" had """,pd on 10 gratitude f"r the s"",i,'a! of
ber busband and olde, son, She ehose to eherish the memuri..,. of hN lost
son and do whatever she could to make Ihe besl of a d ... adfulloss, \-"",
she still fcc;" th(' pain of th(' loss and, yes, she will grieve for h(', son for a
long I,me. EU! , she will 1101 be lrapped ill Ihe wx,c world of ,,'SCntntent 'hat
will p .......·"1 t'~r from b~illg wife a"d ,nolher 10 th~ res, of h~r famity_

Theft' is a 101 10 be learned by lrade", from thIS slory t..eWllg go of any

"'''''''tmc n, allows a person with a I~rribte loss to n'o~~ on 10 a n~w lif~,
10 fulurc happin"ss and SUl"<..'e>S. Ralll~r Illan t><.·ing Sh,c k in a deslruc1i"e
~motional h", ,lIal simply e,mSU"H'S you with each new cycle. ,h~ act
of le'ting g" allows yo" 1<, drop aU the emotional baggage in a single acL
Elu~ how do you do such a simple . yet dirficuh thing when you have paid a
terrible price for d,p actio"s of others?
Looking at Ihc proct'Sll of Icni"g go from the end instead of 'he begin-
ning, lI'e laSI ~I~p in 1~lIing go of r_'n lnl~n, is the d..cision to do SIl_ Thai
dc-cision Comes f",n' all alliludc. And U~~t alli,ud" Co nI es fro", a p"ilt>&>-
"hy. which is ha.,*", on your hcUds. You c:mnot simply ,nake 'he d..cL~ion
t" let go ,,( resentmenL That rl<><;isio", in "r<ier to "",tiVale yo" lu ("lIow
through on iI, must be based on something slronger than the desire not 10
feci a ccrtain way. DepcndJIIg UllOn wl,al you say to you"",1f about lifc and
""hat il means to you. you will find il easy or hard to makc Ihat decision.
and Il\~n 10 stick to il_

If the pro:>C"S; of IPlling go slart.. with your "elie(s, can't yuu simply add the
righl b~liefs and just roll ,,-ilh lite emotional punches inslead of resistillg?
Wpll, yes and no. You nl'£"ll tl,e righl,...1 of altitudes and ways of looking
at th~ world Ihal allow you 10 let go ofbilte"'ess, bUI adding tI'em 10 your
consc,ousness ,s not as simple as decidin,o: it IS bellcr to forgi"c and go
onward than 10 fight fOf justice all" hohl Oil to your rightc<)uS anger.
If you a", h"ld ing Oil 10 a g",at d~al of res'''''''',·nl in your lif~, you
may have de<'ply held beliefs al>oUl life t!~~t come (",m early loss, 1,.,lrayal,
and wounding lbat never heaJ~d . The5£' early and painful expcrienc<'S often
nee<l professional counseling and Iherapy to heal. In this case, tl\p only way
to change your rCS<'nlllwm-crcatmg beliefs is 10 lK'ek oul help.
If your rCS<'nllllent rcSPOIIS(' is 1101 a chronic problem in your hfe ,hal
..... Iuires professionall.hcr~py, ther~ a", sleps you Can take 0" ~'O'" own 10
make ~hang"" in your lIelief syste ,,,_ Ilowever, lit""" steps require you to
make a In", c<>",milmem to ~hange and will require you to d" some har,j
inn~r work.
 LETTING GoOf ["OnoN"" ST.t,nS

SI"I' On"
The first step IS to take a tough and honest look at your currel\\ beli~fs . A
oclicf is any statcmelll that you make thai is true for you, A good way to
do !Ius is to ",-rite out your "nswe", to the followi!!)!: qu","uoru; as truthfully
as ~'OU Can. This list is only a Slarti"g place for you, and you Can add your
own swt,''''~nll! aoout lif~ to thiS liSl

• P"',pll' am basically (good, bart, ," neither). Explain why yo" think so.
• My life is (good, okay, or bad) Explain,
• You can coum on the people you cam about to (suppon you, to betray
you, to forgct you, to oc thcre for you no mattcrwhat, ctc,), Explain,
• ~o maltcr whal I do, I (ne>'N fall, always fail,just miss the boat,just
n'anage to make il through, ,,(c.). F. , plain ,
• The ,"ust impo"a"t f!I'<)ple in my life have I"",,, (great mil' "l<"'d~,
Haw..o but basically good people, well-imentioned but destruc!l\'e, evil
and heanless. ete.). Explain.
• I expect thaI the rest of my life will be (happy and successfuL full of
Slru.oWC and penodk succ,_, full of disaPpolntll1cm and loss, ctc,),
Explain
• Accidcntll (do happcn , ot'caSionally happen, n~,'cr 1'"p]X'n- ifs always
someone', fault). Explain.
• The b<-st way to bandle a 1",",. is to (experiene<> It and then let it g",
to resist it and to find a way to avoid dealing "'ith it, fight il and seek
justice andlor revenge). Explain ,
• The world is (a good place full of opportunitic!!, an evil place, full of
accidenlS wailing 10 happen ). r..plain.

SII' p T\\'o
Now (ake a look at what you ha"" wrill,'n. Is it lruc? Is it what you really
believe and f""l'! If "ot, what are you hldil\g frum yourself" Whal is your
true f""ling ahout life"

1'11'11 Th rt'l'
For eaeh quesl1on, ask yourself how your life has turned out bas<>d upon
that panicular oclier. How wiU 11 cont",ue in thc future? If the T<'Sulu; are
non·product;"", list thcm, ~'or e",,",ple, if you feel that people are basically
bad, has this resulted in a lack of t,,<st, a lack of closeness, or a well of criti,
cis"'-' fla>'c these r...:lings produced pusiti>'e relationships and prof'''ISionat
suc.c.ess for you?
L~ning Go of R~unrm"!l

~h' ll Fuur
If you ""lievM and fetr d,fferently, how would your hfe ltave lumed OUl?
What would your future look like? Close your <'Yes and Im<l.'(ine how il
would"" The act of imagilllll"'; IS the mosl impoJtanI Slep i" Ihis entire
proc~'SS_ The ,"ore iul .·,,,..,Iy you ima&i"" f.,.,lin& a part';c"lar way and (heu
ha>'ing a differcut o"tco "'e in YOllr life, the 1Il0re real it l>ec01lle8_ If you can
u.... all of yuur .... ,1.'11':'1 In ~reat .. a cI ..ar piClUre, and fee) a deep feeling, and
then d""Crit", il 10 yourself in wonl~, th;. p;~lure of the wmlll ";I1I,,,&;n 10
repla"" the one Y"u have put Ihere,

~ lt' " Fh'e

Rep'eM ~l<'p r""r e>'ery day for a u,,,II,h . Wllell y"" awaken in the IIlon'in&
IIdore you "pen yom eye., onff again creale Ihe picture of your new view
of the world, c rank up thos" new feeling.~, m,d again d""Cril'" Ihe meaning
uf it to yourself,
New attitudes can occur rapidly when you feel the sting of the old unes
and can""" Ihe great M'ne/il of the lie'" "nes, If Ihese ne'" attitudes arc
reinfo",c<I by new expcrienc"," that bring positi,.., r",""lts. they will b{'{'ome
"'un, and ,,'ore iullu"n!ial in your thinking.
For exampl .. , if you dec.ide that ~",Ie who cut you off in traffic art'
inc'JtI.'iderate fools who aN' n'ally I() cause you an accirlem. you ,,;11 f",,1
anger Ihe entire lime you are dTiving on the cily slreets and crowded lugh-
ways. Or do you believe Ihat people who cUI you off are s.o deeply anxious,
unl",ppy, Of full of emotIOn Ihal they arc unaware of whal is happemn..,;
aro"ud th.'", aud "'can "0 une any han"_ O"~e you SlaTi ,u (hink this way,
yo" ,,'ill r~'{'1 e,,'p.~thy fur (I'e I"-'Opl,, who cut you off_ Vuu will won tier what
l~ happening in their lives !l,at l~ So .!o<lsuming :mrl you will Slol' feeling
m'get and fru-<tralion. Sudrl~nly, you witt gel out of your car anrl no longer
be emotionally exhaustM. \"ou may not even wam that 511ff drink you al-
ways pour yourself, O\'er lime, yuur Waisl starts shrinking and you begin
to slCCD ""tter. The benefits keep on coming

Resentment is one of Ihe mosl toxic emoti"nal stales a trader can harbor,
eating away at his..,;00<1 feelings and sappin..,; his energy 10 be produl1i" e
and succt"SSful. Since loss of any kind is fertile ..:round for resentment, a
trader is Illure likely tilan '''ost p,url'SSiouals to cunfrunt il-- The besl way
to deal with ,!lis uegau'-e elllotion is lu si"'ply I", it gu s.o that il rolls urr
 LETTING Go OF EMOTION'" STATES

you ~k~ water. Resisting it only makes it p~",isl and grow in Us influence.
lIul, leWng go "-'\j,,;Q"8 an attitude shin and t.hat attitude shin rt'<juires a
commitment 10 e~ami"ing ~'o'" [,,'e l>cliefs and ",placing them wit!, lire
enhancing 0"1'S.

Grred is A'(Jj" oj I!ot !Iclting tile most of !rome/iii n.q. Gi re up

Ihe y.-eed and /Iou gh'fJ liP IIwfea,'. ll'ilich will allow !Jail/a
IW l'e Ivlwl you de~erve und perlwp,' evel! more.
 111\1'11 . 1(11

The Greed
Addiction

fyou are a ""rious trader, revisiling Ihe subjecl of greed eannOl be done

I orten ~"oll.'(h. Just as Ih~ pric~ of fR'Cdom is eternal \·iJ!ilanc" . the price
of success In lradin..: is ~Ien'al \igilance a.o;ainslgrced
GR,<--d is there 10 sabotage you ~ad' lin'., yun fac~ the pr""'p~..:t of
making "'oney in (I,.,markl'ts. As lI'e great cun fouru\t'r ur ju~g"'e"l an~
deslwyer uf r1l<;<;il'line. g~ call eall.<;f> you to hold a pusilir'" long after
Ihe pronls shoulol have I,.,.,,, take" of t.he lo"s"" eUL Like all greall.hle\·"".
grero isan excellent sneak. It is subtle, wily. and hard to detect umil it has
ilS grip un you Like the fiu. yu" nce<l to b<> , ,,gularly inoculal"'" ".1\'1'''''1
gr<>ed since no une is immune and some i"di>iduals arc panicularly su,..
ccptible to it . and like the nu . "u matter how ,narty time'S ~'OU fal l victim.
you can catch it agai" in it~ nc ....'. mutak-d fonn .

Roy. a brilliant mall and a very IlO<" traMr. l~ Ihe poster hoy for a fatal
case or gre<.>ilitis. His lradlng systems are so dazzling "'ith genius Ihal il
is difficult 10 imagine anyone using them wilhout making milliollS When
Roy starts IfJdtn~ he calls wllh Ihe news that he is ma king money al Ihe
rate of some amazing percema.llt'-as much as 100 percenl per "'·l'Ck. lIis
astounding succt'SoS will go on fo r St'\'en Or eight Wl...,1ts d uri ng wl,id, h~ will
call with plans fo r whal he will do wi th all ofl' is futu re ean,i"jl8. As weeks
1'3."s. hl~ plaJ\.~ become more and more e laborale alld illHatl'fl 3.. he df<'ams
 LETTING GO 01' [ MOTIONAL ITAT£5
'"
ufgreal riet,,,,,, S"ddt'nly, the calls SlUp and he w ill IIut b~ heard fru", ror a
",,,mh or ,nore <luring which Urne h~ has once again lus( ev~rytltil\g.
Why <lues a trader cnnllnoe to lose al] thai he mak"" in thl' markets
when his tal~m is as great or greater than {he best traders in Ihe field?
In Roy's case , he is perpetually Wldone by IUs unbridled greed. Strangely
enough, when Roy is poor. to .. is the ka>t !(re<'<Iy jm\i>;duai you will cver
",,...t, lie ",-<",Id happily give you tt,e shin from his back. WI",n he has no
p,or;pt'cts of having any '"Ollt'y , he will share ",'hate'-c' I' e has. lIuw">,,,r,
j,,-,t give llim the vision of rich"" in the future, and Roy rapidly I".""s al l
sense or propolti"". reality, and Sl'lf.fll-';ipli"e. I!e breaks all "f his uwn,
most cherished trading rules untillhere is nothUlg left to trade.
II would be possible to make the case that traders li ke Roy are simply
afraid of suc"""'" Of that th~y fN.'1 unworthy of succ""". Ho .... ~'·er. nothing
coutd be fulther fro", the troth i" Ruy's easc. Ruy tonos s,,~..,~-ss and l>c-
1ie~es d~... pty that he is wurthy uf i\- I" fact, he has puwerfut ",ulivati"g
i'MS"'; of himself In su~cf'1l.~ful siluation.• . Without ttol'Se powerful u"cun·
ow.iuU'l motivators, Roy would never have achieved the level of SUN.'es.< in
other fields that he has already achieved.
The problem is that Roy becomes pos.5('ssed by greed. It overtak"" him
with such POW~f ttom h ~ is una""ar~ uf tis hold "nd h~ is hdpl,.,." 10 fight il
,,"Iii it has takc" e~er)'lh;ng back. Ilfflpile all uf his best intenliun.s, Ruy is
Su"'"cpliblc h' greed's infe'..1iuus l",weT lu sidetrack his suCCe!!Ol.

Acwnllng to Ihe dictionary, greed l< "an overwhelming desi .... to have mo ....
of sumetl,ing such as money than is actually needed." IlUl what does thai
really mean for a trader? Is gre<-d simply an emotion like joy, d",;ire, grief,
Of angN? Docs it toave mOT~ of an influcnce on us than JUs! II transitury
fN.'itng Of d<'!lire?
Althuugh there is nu a,'ailabl" research un the biod"''''iSlry uf greed,
it is dcar (ita( greed has Ihe I",wer tu scnd a chemical rush through uS
tl~~t ~umI"'L. Us t" PUI asitle our ~ummon sense, our selk"n\r()I , anti our
humanity If other po"'enul emotional states create changes in our brains
and our hodies. thNe is w mpemng evidence in the beha,;or surrounding
gr<'ftl to suggest Ihat it doc" IlO as well.

" ,\ llil uf Gn'rd. '\lI~'unr'!" '

Must of liS k"uw traders, frienM, arId c"e" "'e",bers uf uur uwn family who
are "" highly ",,",«;eptihle It, addi~tions that they smoke. drink, gamhle, take
Th. Crud Addirti<m
"
1<'"
dn,gs, ur elt( eXC~'&liv~ly tu the poilll ur self"destn,ctiull. Th~se P'-"<JI,I"
unable tn stop . It is at"" pOllsible that the addictl'd I",,,,,,n willI", the unl'
whu looks back at us lfl the mirTOr every morning.
Studies have shown that people who are addicted to one thing are
likdy to be addicted 10 any or all of the uther possible addictiw sub"'ane"".
OfICn, lughlyaddlcted indi,;dunls can lead successful!; ves If Iheir addic"
liuns can be cuntrolled or if IIwy "'e.... lIt"rsu:uk'd by ,.,3Sull ur eireu","
IItanc.e 10 avoid co mact with addiNive substances when they were young.
Iluw"" er, onc.e they succumb to the temptation of all a([<H,;live sub;;ta"c.e
or beba,;or, they are often s"'ept a"'ay by it.

Tht· lIollutll 1,1111"

PrOlll what We kllUw aOOlll addictions, it is 1101 IIII .... "~nable tu " 'ake th"
educated " ... umpli<>tl thaI trade.,. wh" emer till' bu.~ines.. for the excit ...
I"em are in "eed IIf that hit or the emotional high to reel alive. TheS<'
traders are addicted 10 the relea5l' of the bram chemicals tllal makes them
feel lIappy or relaxed or euphoric. These same tratlers are VII1nerabie to
all possible addictions. Then, one day, tt,cy suddenly encounter Ihelr Ii"'t
opponuruly 10 achieve thdr Ii"'t big scor<' in the markets. Once they "'-'"
alld f",,1 t he poosibilily uf makillg a killing ill HIe markets, th~y suddt·nly
I"'gin 1<, ~xperi"n,!e a rush or euphoria. A.. so<'" as they sample the power-
ful emotional high that c.mnes wilh thaI first hil or g"",d, Ihey are hooked.

f;ll 11 Ihl' f;r."I· d ,\thlirliun l\fl U1'1I ~' lit- (;uUlI

rur "nllr Trlullnj.;'!
Sometimes in the short run, a .""Ir·d""tru~live b<>havior or p.~ttem call pm,
duce p""itive results making it even more addictive. lIowever. the only P"~
dictable long-term result for any addiction is " '()('. short and simple.

[II there an :mtido!.e to the greed addictio,,? For sume, Uke Roy our I",ren"
nia! I"""r, the amidote to the greed addIction", tota! IOSI!. Without the
ProsIK>ct of making money, his addiction is under control. [f you know that
you ar<' a grCftl junki~, here is a Ii", of scven possible antidotes:
I . Stop or limit your tradlllg. Limiting the amount of trading that you do
can cut duW'n on your exposure 10 the addICli,,, cycle.
l . Make note oflhe pIctures that you create when you are heading toward
the addIctive stale of grCftl and change the pictures to snap you back
",W a "om",1 stale.
 LETTING Go OF EMOTION'" STATES

:1. Cut back or stop the use of addIctive substallc<-'S alld beha,iors, all
of which contribut .. to thc likdihood of your being O'-Ncom" by any
otller addIction . This would inciud .... cigaretu."S. alcohol. drugs. gam·
bling. o,· ........ aU"g. and so Oil. Clearly, this is a ''Ny dimcuU st<'1' a"d
I"t"<.jui,..." 1.... "'c"doU8 co""ni(",c'" and effo ,,_ n'e l.>esl way 10 go about
thio is to _k a supf>t'" system . For example, join Alcoholi"" An"ny_
",ous or any nth"r supf>t,., gruup. or seek out a !.lIP"",ist or c"ullselor .
.1. Ilulld a set of ".."" 1"<)18 into your trading tl~~t liml!s your exposure to
the hands-on decision to enter or exit a position Exampl"" would be
established stop-loss orde", or a third-party trader to run your syste",
for you.
~. Relaxation tcchniqu("S. ~"'ditation IS a very important factor in reduc·
ing the effecl of addictions, beeau".., it tu n .~ lhe nght or mght ",<.,;ha-
"iSn\ o ff for 12 hou",. This ,,'akes il ~ .... ry dim"ull for your brain 10 be
","er-su mulat".j by anything.
~; . Rxereise and l"OJlN "ulrilio". I~k e no<-'dilation, exerci.w appears to
help '0 reduce or moderate addi"tivP !>ehavio",. For exam ple, "ontin_
uous exereise for an hour result... in duubhng serotonin 1"",lu"tion. A
diN that is rich in D vitamins, fresh fruits, vegetables, and good pro-
teins plus supplemellts is also extremely helpful. Cuning out Ihe while
food!! ( white flo ur. whil .... sugar. white ric ... white potat()('s) has had
anecdotal success in ta~1II'.o: lh~ addlctioll beasL
7. Find a coach, coun""lor. or friend Li ke all addIctions, greed nlust be
addrL'ss..d and ca nnot b .... ignore-d . It is oc"S1 to lind SO"'e fonl1 or outside
su ppo" in working your way Ihrough it.

( :0 \' ( :I .L S 10 \'

G...-..J is (t'e oU(,.of.co"lrol !>eMl (hat can chase away p rollts. If you are a
trader who loves excItement anrl nee<L. a daily fix of ni,!oti"e. ~affeine,
a1,!oh"l, or other stimulating ,lrugs to get through the llay. th .. c.hance.
are that greed "' also une of your addictio"" of chOIce. A wise tradN ;s
one who recognizes the addict;"e llOwer that g"",d can ha,'e over him and
fi"ds ways to a'·oid the temptauon alwgether or at lh .... least to reduce its
frt'Quency and effect..

Wil e" HQU a"e pl'lIi Il.Q up !IOU I' ~l!ieJd, I/oU ll'iU '101 Qllow
op]JQI'llm ily /0 rome IlII"OU9k
 11I\J'I • . l t I 2

The Defensive
Trader

id l~~rl a p'ohl",,, with his trading that was ~ausing hIm ' 0 l"se m""ey.

S Instead of waiting for the buy signal from Ius system, Sid would an{jc-
ipate the signal and buy too soon, If the trade took a slight tick down-
ward aftIC' it was initiatN\, hIC would palllc and S<'ll A~ soon as he sold, IhIC
market would resume ils upward I",nd and his signal 10 buy would apPIC"r
Wh~rI llSk~d aooul (.h~ ea""", of (he I'rubl",,,, Sid vigorously de"ied thai
Ih~'e was a 1"001",,, wilh his Irad ing perfon"an"". He blan'"d his 1""",-,,,
()n Ihe S}'stem he had purcl~~"ed and the vulalil ily ()f IIoe market Ihal. he
followed. In Sid's mind, he had done e\'el)~I"ng co""cily gi,'en the corrum-
stances. For Sid, change was going to be impossible because he had taken
a detICnsi,",' poo;tio"

IT ' S \'OT I,U ;"

RICcICntly, I ,ead a book used j" an MBA coursc 0" leadership in busin,':'!8,
In orle sl,,,ly, 'h" a", ho", eond"d~d Ihal al ,,,US( no diffenmc~ ,, >islet:! be-
lw,,~" e~eeul in'" who "-'Ole to Ih" lOll of (l'ei, fields "nd I.hooe who dropped
(Jut along Ihe way. The"" individual,nanagers were "'l'~~lly il\telligent, ca·
palM, prorlu~tive, affal,le, <;<,"""ill"d, and a, ,,bitiou'~. In """", cas,,", ,....
gardless of the individual's efforts, it seemed that luck dNem,,,,ed who
was rewarded and who was "oL Ew" discounting luck , the researchers
found a single trail that characlerized the nOH"rluckl' ICxcculivcs: ThICY
w",.., defe'lSiv~.
 LETTING GO 01' [MOTIONAL STAT[s

Whal dot'S it ,,'~an tu IJe dd"'l.Siv~" A dcr~nsi>'e I, ader is une whu find~
it difficull I" tak~ dire<;ti"n, eUrre<!tlon, advice, fIr wnslructive criticism.
The individual may get upset and angry, but it is more Ihan likely that he
will simply explaJn and justiry his IJehavior with ratiunalizations, excuses,
and reasons , Whal he eannot do is say, "I an, wrong and need to make a
COIT<'Cllon. -
V", a uader, the problem ""id, ocinll dde""h'c is Ihat nothing can
change if tlw preSt'nl C"Ul"le i~ a lways d~rended, ",'en Ih"ugh il is ,n"ving
the trader in Ihe wrong direcW>II ,

A friend wh" si~~ on the I.>t>.~nl of directors of a pM,'me organization had"

serious proble", with a consultant that had been hire-d to manage its pub-
lie relations, When the members of the board trie-d w ten the consultant
what they wante-d, s he always look a defe"",ve (>Oi'IlUre. FrustroRxl and an-
gry, Ihc board cwntually d<'Cted w fire her. Their due( co",plaint ""as that
she spent all ur I'er (i,ne dcfe,,,liug hcr positiun and nul lislening 10 Iheir
conC~n'S, What they wanl,..1 I'cr lu du ..'as '0 acknuwle-dgc Iheir cunCen,s,
lrL<tead , she simply defended the stalus quo S<' that ""thing could be d"n"
to curre<!1 the prubl""'" presented by the board.
As a ddens;'·" trader, yuu will snrrn find YOUJ"S<'lf in a position
cumparnbl{' to the defcnsi,·c manag<'r and th{' pubUc relatio,,,, consul·
tanto If you an' not listcnin,o; and af" unable 10 acknowledg<, a prob-
le,n, you can e .peet Ihe fulluwing ('On""'-lllenct"S in your pror~'SSi"nal and
personal life :

• V,,'" ~ m o~t irnl''' 'Ulnl ,cJ ll(.ion ~hil'S wilt ~" rrcr. The I",,-,ple y"u
work anri Ii"e wilh n<>ed to lie alM to tell you when "u"wthing is wrong
or if ",,,neth ing is bothering the,,,. Iflhey cannot get you to hear them
l>ecause you are defending the stalus <lUO, they will e,·entually Slop try-
ing. Wh"n Ihey stop trying, they wiU shut you "uL F"r a trader, the ,ita!
linN< "r commullicati"" and 8UPJ"'" ..-ill ..-lIhe, and die.
When yo" admit Ihat yuu ha\'(' mad<" a miswkc " f tloa! Y"U nred
lu in'pro>'e a situation, II,,· p<-"-'Ple whu broughl you ttw prubl{'", will
imme<\iately stop their {'riti eL<"" aflack, or presentation , You ha,'e ad·
dres.'H!d Ihe .."""plaint and ""w e\'e,yone is on the !<alne teanL The
words, -You are right!- mend fencO'S, build support and tean, SPirit,
and lead to compromise .
• Yo" r Iradin g will no t imp","c, Nu traMr should """"iMr ]umsdf
incapable uf leaming U' improving, To fail 10 irrrprove meanS thai yo"
 75

""ill be lucky 10 maintain Ih~ SWIllS quo. MarkeU! chang~. Tmd~". nrfil
10 IJe willing W a<ijuS\ \0 \1\""", d,a"g,.". If you a .... defc,,~i,'c, yuu will
lI"d it dif1icull h> make (I,.. needetJ a,ljustnoen(.S.
• \'ou will ont.. o op""rtu"lli,,~. Defensive lrarlers are [lOIor Il~leners.
Since your intellectual capital IS spent on building defenses, you wiU
not be tuned in 10 Ihe opponunities buried in identifying a problem
and finding a crealive 8OlUlion .
• Wben rOil A RE ri ght, no one will be u rOil. If you hav~ consistently
(ak,-n a dl-fe,,~i"e positiun, no une will IJe " ' illing (u lis(en (u yuu whe"
you are adually righl abuut asiluatiu" or a proble"'. 1.ike (he boy whu
cried. "Wol/'" 100 oft"n _no one willl",li"ve you when a wolf <loes ap-
pear. So, being willing to Mmit Ihat you are wrong can actually make
your being right ea..ier for others to accept.
• \"011 fai l to mat ure . It is difficult for a tradcr to gJo'" in maturity and
Co"'pelence since you a .... cU 'IS\:I,"Uy defending the st.~tus quo. F."en if
yuu hire a (rader's euact" gu (u counr;.,ling, ur (;)ke coulst"s a"d sem ·
i''''''', yo" "ill !\n<l yoursl'lf neerling to fon.ify the apparent ~hinks In
yuur Irarling armor rather than ",rll'Signing II or m.. nrling it.
• You are ,nore vuln eraLI" U, .0"", allack, a nd th" vagarlu or th~
markets and life. If you read about the great baUles in hisiOlY, you
will find many stories of generals who 1051 their armies hecause they
fail,.,l", l'l'Cogni"" \I,eir weakn~""'-'s for fear of appeari,1.Il indeusive.
Rath.' r than admitting a w~akncss, tlocy justififtllhetr position to Ihe
IJoinl uf l..si"g eworyU,i"g. Re"'en'lJer (I~~t defens i.'eness inviws c"en
more all:J,;;ks, ",aking yuu e "~n "'ure vu lnerab le .

1'1": \'m:n 1'0 IHWIr\"n

Th~re was a v<'ry good reason why S,d always found ",aso"S for whal
he did . ile had oc'C" raised in a very critical hume c'''' iru"",,,''t. Regard ·
k-s.s of what he did (l8 a ch ild, his '''utJ,~r and father always fuund sum~~
Ihing wrong with it. Sirl wa.~ a v.. ry bright and ~omrelf!l\l c hilrl. Instead of
I'ral<ing him for his accomplish", .. n!.., his paren!.. found something in his
achievements to crilicize,
Sid awoke each morning with asense of impending doom, Wbal would
his l ,ar~nU! find wro!\ll with him looay? No maliN whal he tri~d, h~ could
"ul make i( (hruugh H'e day ha"ing pleased II,~", . F.,·en as a" adult, his
parenlS cuuld lOut S,up (heir erilicis",. WI'en visiting Hw"" he would uf·
len chang.. hl< entire outfit Iw" or th ...... timl'S unUI he Was absolutely cer·
tain it w"uld nut generate ~rili~~",n. Ilowever, he was always wrong ahout
Ihat.loo.
71> LETTING GoOf ["OnoN"" ST.t,nS

Sid's nnly path tn survival in an ~n\'in"unel\f like Ihis was {(, IeI'm ""If·
d~fense , lie quite nalU,:ally feU into a pauen. of defending: hin ..... jf Ihat fol-
jowl'd him throughout his life The minute he l><'",e;,,1'd that he was under
allack, he imml'dimely bellan to formulaIc a defellllC strategy The fact Ihm
thcs<> "attacks' were constructive or ," 'en nccffiSary ad.,ce did 110\ f('gi,..
(e' wi(t, Sid's "nconscious I>1ind, which was I'ypersensitive (0 (he rain,'-"'<t
whirr or an allack .
Mnst people do nol grow up in hnmes as critical a.~ Sid's. lIuwever,
ma"y people enme from homes with varying le"els of criticism and judg-
nlel\l, If;t does not come from Ihe;r ho",es, it ,'el)' nne" comes from tI,e ..
I""''''. from my obs<-rvminn nf the lrade", who cvme for coachinll, Ihe
most critical hom"" af(' nfteH the nnes wh("f(' the parents are highly imel·
ligen, and wel l t>tJucall'd. TI,t"S<' pM"n!>; ex[lt'<.1 near-perft..;tiu" from tI,.,;,
c.hildren and are not sal.l~ftl'd wilh anything I""" . Th .. .-..su it for their .;lui.
d",n is the n"",j 10 he on Ihe ,tefe'l~i\'e about their I><'rfonnan"" ill ",'ery
asp""l oflheir he!!.

\ W\\' OL1' Of' IU; I' K\:Sn'l' \'F.SS

For Sid, the way nul of defensiveness was 10 build his senS<' of self-""I .... m.
lit the h"art of defeM"'en.",,, is a SCllS<' of wl...-onhim'SS and powe,less-
ness, II trader who fecls gvod about himsclf and I,,,,, a &'Cure M'nsc of his
uwn ","unhin,·ss w;1I nul rear nlaking a n'iSI.~k.· and uwning uplu il publicly.
As a fI"'l S\~p in his r"t"Cuv~ry, w~ wurkt>tJ un building Sid's awart'ne""
of huw he ~ame to he "" def.. ",ive as a powerles.~ d'iht. When he began 10
unrlersland why he had "".,.-t ..d to rlefend hlmself against the steady stream
nf criticism, he began 10 dismantl(" 10'5 defen"" syslems because he was no
lun,o;er a powerless child but a strong and il1deP<'ndcnt atlull
~' exl, we focuscd Oil Ih,· Ihin,o;s that Sid d,d w(,]1 and VI' all of his
achi~ve"'~nIS. We ","ClOt back lI" UUgll his childhuud and cclebrat~d all "f
his un .a<:; k nuwl~dged ad,ie>',·nW"ts. lie hSlt'd his strength" "nd tI'e things
that he <li,1 'igllL Then. he leanl"'l how to visualize hinL..,lf perf<>nlung well
and t>eing acknnwledgl'd for his achievements.
The final slep of his , ....o".. ry was rehearsing: his acceptance nf criti-
cism, coITcclinn , blame, and attacks, Some of the crilicism was construc'
tive and ""me "''''' n(",o;ativ~, It did not matU'r in the rehe"rsais, Sid nceded
tu understand Ihat all Crilicisnl ""d currecli"n shuuld he acknuwlt'dged .
People who are willing It> speak (I,~i' "'inds al>uul whal they p~'ceiw~ ""
wrong ne",1to k,,<>w that tI,ey 1",,'e I,...,,, heart!' Other...-L.." they simply get
angry, frustrall'd, and ""iIling to lake actinn that ynu d<> not want 10 fac.e,
T~ Troder
D<Jf.",iv.
"
lie ... are the nine st~ps In resl"",ding to ~"rre.;lion, adVice. ,!riti~ism.
and attack that Sid leamed;

I. List~n ""rdully without f~a,. R~m~mber thai the sl'cak~r is I"kill.'( a

risk in being open an~ l'on~'S1 "bout a pe<eei,'ed probl"", .
2 . ParapilrdS<' back to the sr><'ake,'s satisfa~1;on wha' you belie"e he or
sl,,, is trying 10 Idl you.
:1. Ask fo, confimlation that you have IlfOjl('fly undeffitood what Ihe
sp'eak"r has said.
~. If Ihere is a probl,·", inherent i" your perron" "nc.. , aeknowl,..tge il
with"ut ex~u."ffl, reaso".• , or Ju..titl~ati(Jll1!! . At this jloin~ it (]"e" not
matter if y"u are being wrongly a ccu......-l . Yuu n~,,<l to ()wn up to y"ur
pan in the matter and only your pan as they see it Realize that it is
their opiniun but that it may have value for you, Gems of good infomla-
t;on ma)' be mis.&:d if you block prople from exprC8Sing thei r opmion
Ewn une plN:e of ad,;cc cnn make all the difference in your perfor'
''''lUee .
~ . Work loward a ",utualty agreed upo" solu(.io". Ask for pole",ial solu ·
tions and ad'ice.
6. Make a con""it,,'enl to work on Ihe solulio",
1. Thank the sr>eaker for being witting to bri"g the prw le'" 10 light and
for hi.. help in ,."I''ing it On~e yuu ha .... rak,>n th ... ~"neilia\Ory step,
all of the potenUal ",'gative f.... lings that were In the ,,[>Caker wil! have
been neutra~zed, He will haw no reason left to r.... 1 that y"u are in the
wrong, that yo" have not be<>n listpmng, and that you ,,;11 not coo!><,r-
ate in correclmg the problem, You are "0"· pan of the solution .
H. F"lIow up and fullow thfl>ug.h. Once yo" have agreed upon a solution,
work on tt,e soluuon and k.,." updati,'l! 'he sll~akcr Orr you r prog"-""l.
This follow up is not only c ritical in soh'I.ll.'( the problem . but in buildm..:
a stro"ger 8C"'iC of I"n,mwork
~ . Reward y"u"",lf eacl' (i"'e you ,nake it Ihrough a s ituati"n in w),kh
the fe<'<lbac. k l~ negativ~ without r""oning tl> defensive nffi'l.

The purpose of tins rehearsal is to make yo" "omfortable with the pro-
Cffi'I or responding to eo"""tio", criticism, blame, or attack and automat-
ically ",spondin..: wilh a st,mel& of st"'''l\1h, If you do not have anyone
10 rchearse With, Shut y"urself in a roo,,, and ret'en"", oul loud or mcn ·
ta lly rehearse d ifferenl scenarivs until you f•..,1 prepared tl> Hoi resp"nd
defe'"<ively.
,. LETTING Go OF EMOTION'" STATES

(:0 \'e:I.t S 10 \'

Tn the business worM , the single Ihrea(llhat com''''!l~ highly talented PI'<),
pl~ who fail to aclneve lh~i r potemial is def~nsiwl\<'SII . A dpfensive trader
is at an equal d,sadvantage in his profL'SSlonai hfe. Defensivenpss prevents
a tTad~r from 11~"ri"g tI,e important f<wback that he nttds to ;mpro"" his
p('rfomlanc(', his r<'lmionsrups, and his busin..,.,., It stan"" bt-Iw('('n him and
t he n~"ibili(y he n.-eds to adapl «, (he perpetually changing '"arkelS ""<l
it
prC"Cllts him r"'lll growi"g. A trader's dl'fensiwn..ss mak<'S hi", ""In era·
ble and build~ a wall ar"und him (hal i ..,lall'S him frum opening him..,.,lf up
to positive chang""
[fa trader came from a critical andjudgmental ('nvironment, he learned
early in life to become defcns;.·" ""!lOOn as (1,(' feedback "",und",1 chaUcng-
;n~ . That auwmatic Mfensi>'en""" comes from i,""",urity, a "",n"" of pow_
ertessness, and r.... tings or IIl1wonhiness. A dl·r,·nsive trader can l><.~ol1le
a lea", player thar ..,spon'l~ I(J prubl" ms with cu ntld"n~ " and a demon·
stealerl willjngn",,-" to lislen, acknow]erlge, and to St)]ve the problem. The
proc<'SS for unlearning defensiven<'SS require!! courage. commilment. and
perhaps some outside help, but Ihe resu il will be a slrung and succ<'SSru]
trader with the social skills to succ...ro .

r eeling bad Ita.s /lw .same flll'llst asjeei.iug good bul willi a
I!''gatit''-' outcome. What is !l0" /" elwin?
 111\1'11 . "1 .1

Transformation
of Feelings

re you one of the many traders who trunk that feelings have nothmg

A 10 do wilh making money in thc markets? If so, then you are also
one of the many tradc", w\o()8(' succ~ss in trading is hdd capti,·c by
his f,."lings.
Th~ n'USI sute.ssful I rad,·,.,. in II'e i,,,luSlry a", consi8W"1 I rade,.,.. Hut,
in unler fur a lratler to Ire c,m~is1e"tly suc.""ssfuJ In I.h" markeL~, he nef'<ls
10 follow predelenn;ned rul",; tl~~1 he I"'hews "ill gi"e rum a positive OUI·
cume. The probl"m for mosl trad('lS, however, is thai the abihty to follow
110...... rul"" depcnds upon a sN of feelings Ihal keep him dJsc'l)lin~d, for a
trader who wants 10 build a [o"g and co"",stemly suc""""ful caree. , these
1>OSi1;"e f""lings arc as "alllabl~ as having lonlOrrow'8 ",arket '<'SIIllS in
your ha,,,1s today.
If Sf'lf·,;;ll);.JUtge rloe" "01 c.()me lrelween a lroder and following his
rul"". he will create a comfonable feeling thaI "ill "uppon his .. rrollS. But
if. in Ih .. process of b<'Commg ,. lrade he l"""s money co""istently, experi-
ence" a large I""", or is incollsist.'nl i" his ",sults, he w,ll de~clO(} a "cgali"e
conditiunirl,ll witt. associated ncgali.·c feehngs about the choices h~ mak"",

For all of us, feehngs are Ihe final clement III Ihe proc..,.,. of how wc crcme
our realily . !>irs! l'<lnll'S Ihe experience; n,,"I, w~ tell ourselv"" Ihe SlOry
about Ihe ,,"p."ie"ce; and then cu"''''' the feeling(s) associated w;ll1 the
story. A.~ a resull of Ihe "'petition "f the SI"1)/ "",,. time, with Ihe ass"cial ... l
., LETTING GO 01' [ MOTIONAL ITAT£5

r""lings, ....." wiU .;reate 3. reality that reOp<;L~ thoS/' r.... ling.~. For example.
pain that is assocIated Wilh a loss m the markets will e'-entuaUy create
more and more loss by impaIring judgment, preventing a trader from fol-
lowing IUs rui<'S, pre"~nting him from pulling {he tnucr, and holding rum
back rrom taking llc<:es;wy risk.
Howew~r, wt."n ll"·,,, is II condition ing for negWj"e feelings, an ;""ne-
dial.. response ean occur wilh",,! (he swry Uta! WaS origina ll y al t.aclwd 10
the bad (""ling. For example, the s\<,ry of th .. orig;nal and painful I"ss may
I>e forgotten, bU! the f"""ngs of pain and fear may TiS<' to the surface each
time a trader auempts wenteI' a trade. To let go of these negative "ad sab-
"'a.o:ing r<'<"lings, you must change tto .. original story, or chang.. the feelings
attached to the story
By ,,"der8l<i"ding the proeess of y"ur -crt';)U"g realily SlrJI ~gy: yuu
",;n begin 1.0 understand "'here changl'S m~1 lake place in order 10 trans-
fun n the c.onditiotling_

Tim , '\ '1'1(>\1. STN,\Tllf;l' PO.

( : .,,/\1'1'\$ N.,·\l.IT\'

Humans first take in infom1atlon from their Ii'-e sens<'S based un the story
tt.<'Y create about that infonnatiun . When we nperiencc an event, we sture
the cXP<'riencc bas<-d on what we heard, saw, srnelk d, touched, and even
1as!t'<J. The mure of thest' ~nwry detailS w~ store aud rcule,nl>er fru," thai
e ~ p" ri enc~, Ih~ mure s ignificaut I.hest' sturi~'S becum~ fur u.s aud t.he '''ure
real they become in our minds. The m,lS( significant Siuries eventually will
c.reate a conditioned response_ TillIS, if we are In an ac.c.idem while driving
and we continue to relive the experience in our minds-hear the sounds
of the crash, fl'<'1 the pam, smeU the sR'ok e from tl'e fire, I!('(' thm truck
carl'<'ning toward us, and ~"'eR taste the blood from uur injury, we will
have an ~xperi~uc". thai " ' ill cunlinue lu hav~ a profuund iulluence u,'~r
uur lives lung aflt'r it oc-cu m'<l_

l'Ukr lug ~Iurh's

Life eXj>eriencl'S <:1>oditiun you in the way you ,,-m filter the original experi_
ence of the story Either a significant j>ers<m in your life told yuu how tu in-
t ..."ret this 5Iury, ur you h",'e developed "!I opmion about the stury. These
influenc<'8 create a n-ality filter fu r yuu thm only klS in the infom'"t;u)) thm
yuu already believc to be tru~ . When yuu l,"ve a positive eXP<'rience, yuur
filler will make you anticipale the same positi"e experience yuu had in the
Pas!_ The ' e"erst: is (me fur negativ~ e . p~rie"ces.
TranffDrm''''Dn Df f~dng<
"'
~.·nsa t lunll·· .·... i ng

If dIP experten<:f' of an origin"l story harl a positivI' oUlc.o"'P, you wit! havp
a pleasant sensation or feeling in your body, Our body intel1l"'ts a good
f""ling as a healthy Hperience If the (""ling IS uncomfollable. we COllStrict
or "",mcl our bodIly funclions and create disease In our body We Ihen
learn thm !leJ!1iti"e f~'{'lings should be a"oidNl bc<::ause they ne """""imed
wilh ph)l'<ical or ~"'o\io,~~1 puin_ In Ih~ case of SO"'....,"e who lralk'S in the
linuncial ",ark~ts, n~galive f~'{'li"gs associat\!d with a drowdow" will ,,~ry
often lpad to ,;ahotaging rul","" Irarl",,_ Traders avnirl negaU,-e f""ling.~ ",-pn
if Ihey belie.'" thm they will eam money from the o...,rall system. Thus. the
possibility of a I""" bc<::omes sometlung to aVOId,
'Ilow do you kelT asks the therap;";t as she assesses her clien ... Why
is il imporuml for Ihe therapist 10 know this or ,,'ore likely for her c1ienl 10
r...:ogni,..., it in hin'self"' The tl",rapist or coach wants to:

• IdentIfy the issue that fir.« connected her clienl to the problem he is
trying 10 OH'n;o,n~_
• "now tI,at Ilt'r cli~nt is a(\ach~d 10 the r~'dings of (I'e original c"ent , SO
she c.an rll'lsipate those f<,<,ling.~ with new as.'!<><:iations_
• Insure that his stori<'S are not so disa""ociated (rom the f<'<'ling t!om
they arc just SlOri= n"s disconnect happens when il is too painful
psychologically to f""lthe f{'('ling that was first altaehNl 10 the SlOry,
• Discowr when he has felt similar ({'{'lings before in his life Since lie is
likdy IU ha,-~ a cllain of ~",·n~., aU3Ched IU Ihe current lor;s, shc will be
abl~ to assist him in defUSing all uf t.h""" ,·.'en\.s_
• Redi.-...;t the n"gative feeling into a p"sitive or neutral as""...,iati"" ,,-ith
the origlnat event, so he wiU be able take action from logic, nOl from
negalive f<,<,lings,

Andy had a chain of events in his life Ihat kept him from follow'ing his
rul",.. The psychological tenn used is Geslall From childhood, Andy felt
he was nOl worthy of achl<"lll.'l great success. Ilis father r<'pcatNlly told
him tha( thl~ was t.rue and IiUle A"dy Iwli,,"ed his father. As a ,,'Suit, he
lean"...1to play the c1~~racte r uf thc ,"' '''urtlly indi,-idual and sabmaged his
efforts It) be a winner in anything he I.ri",l to accomplish, ,,-hether it wa.~ in
hi~ re",onallife or in his pr"fessi"nallife_ F"r example :

• In ba.whall, he always managed to he jusl an a.-erage player ,,,-ell

though when he was in practice he was clearly the mO/lt talented
player
• lie n",,,,,)!:Nl to lose his fronH,.nn~ r position for student council by
getting sick.
 LETTING Go OF E" orION", STATES

• Ik losl lh~ young woman who W"," mlracle<l1O him by saying ""me-
I hin! 51 upid and inappropriate_

With a minor in psychology, Andy realized the (;{,stall was keeping him
from his bt-st ~ffort8,l3ul und~rstandin.o; th~ problem did nol S1OI' Ihe curs<'
lie b<',l!an his careN in finance in the back orfic~, pro>'idin.o; sup""n 10 pro-
f..-ssional lraders. Soon, he dTeau\~'(! of l>e<..'Olll'ng a trader hilllSl'lf, J.'v~ntu·
ally, he had pO"itione.-! himselfto he c.on.• i<lered hy hL~ Onn to risk Il'~~nc.ing
him a.~ a trader_
Andy's first drawdown resurrected the old GestaIL Fonunately, he now
had Ihe p"yclwlogieal background to understand what was happening. He
quickly hire.-! a th~ral'ist who asked lum to run Ihrough his ""ri"" of nega·
th'e stori"", - ilow do you f~d about It, Afkr yean< of retelling Ihese sto-
ries, Andy no longer ha<l r.... linj',S al\.a<:hed to theil', "x~q)t Ihe drJwdown
experienc.e . nut, as a -good patient; he prvduc.f'<llhe app"'prL~t.. feeling
t1~~t he no longer felt. Fo,1.unately, hL~ therapL<;t recognized the emotional

disconne-ction. Through hypnosis, the feelings flowed from the mosl r""ent
event all the way back to the root calJ5('- illS father telling Andy thaI he was
not worthy of achie\'irl,l( succesS.
WI'~n Andy conrro"ted his father abo"l (he "eg,~(i"e "'essages in hls
childhood, his fa( I",r lold Andy (loa! he had feare<l (ha! he wo"ld nol be able
Ii) send h 'i son 10 ,~"Ilege . Tu prol.e.:t Andy from heing dL~app"inle.-! by"uI
having a bright future, hL. father hooli)ld him t!~~1 he wa.~ "ot worthy uf
achieving great success, Ralher than wanting his son to fail, he very much
wame.-! lum to "njoy a surc"""fuJ life,

Ulud;"f; I" f.'din~s

T like to think of f""lings as being the Onal f",ntier in ma.~tering

any goal .
Feellllgs complele the circuiUy III the natural cutTent of energy, events, and
imentions that /low as a person proc<'SSe'l his life. In that process, we learn
to create tl,e ]lass,on """""""ry 10 ignit~ our ","n..'S, to r('Cognize OPjlOrtu·
nily, to c r~a (e i""ova(.i,,~ ideM, and 10 I~an' valued lessons_ Unfonun;).l ~Iy,
well·inl~nded pt"Ople teach uS h' block our k't'li"W;. f1lock~'(! r~dings Can
resuli from any !l"",ber of experie"ces such iW

• Par<' nlS who say, -You're a big boy- big boys don't cry.-
• Sports coach~'S who say, - A~I like a "'an_-
• n",,;n..-ss p rof."",io"aI8 who I~l you know Ihal if. i~ -"01 professional-
tn show yunr negative e molion~.
• And in the case o( traders-those trading mentors who say - keep emo-
1;0"" onl oftrading'
Trll,,,rormoriOlt of fu'i~!1' H:t

Dlock.,.! negati"e elll,,(i<>ns will in~\'ila!'ly find an "utiel for Iheir ~~.
pression. jusl lik~ sleam will lind an outle! or explode from its C<>n-
lines ",h.. n IhIC pre!!Sure builds 100 hil(h. Oftcn 11008<' situations c~u!lNl by
blockNl .. motIons wfll look and fC<'1 familiar; and IhICY will be repealNl
agai" and again "ntil the u"derlyi"g "'"und that CauSt-'S them is heak-d.
When y"u ignure the wanl,ng sig"s and cunti""e tu .... press tI, ....... r",,·lings.
Ihey "'iIllearl 10 negative physical m:mlfl'S\.:lUo"s such as phy~ical Ulnf'SS.

WI\'\'I\''' O\' .\ IoIISI\"; P\'I'II

Amir ",a.. one of Ihose traders who bloc k L~1 his negali.·" fef'lings. Eventu_
ally, lIe had a stroke thaI crippled his ab,Uly to earn money lie 1""1 all of
his assets, including his wife and chdd,en. H".ing neglecled his family, he
failICd to acCruIC any .. motional collatel'dl wilh Ihem Althougb hIC had prO"
>idetl them ",ilh a comfortabl .. lifIC mmICrially. he had liw'<llns ~fc lik .. a
bachdor, rarely participating in ra",ity activilies. To those who knt'w I,i",
c .... ually. A",ir appeared \0 be a happy I,"'SO'L I.\UI, th""" clt.sest 10 him
would deSCrihe him as a very inlense "",n.
Am"leamed to repress negaliv" feehng. early Ills falher pushed lum
away "" a ehdd when he was crying and told Amir's mOlher lloat sh~ was
nol allowed to eomfo" hilll Laler, Amlf witnN<8Nllhe brutal mumer of his
faU'ICr by som""ne who did nol agre~ wilh )u" rdigio"" oclicfs. Remcmocr-
i"g whal his rather laughl hi"" An,i, did n,,1 shed a lear. Whc " his "'olher
~o ul d nol SUPpO" all th~e of her ~h ild~n. sI,e selll Ami. 1<, live wltl, hl~
unde in Ihe Unit.,.1 Statl'S. Afte. grndlL~ling from college, Amir wo,k...-l in
his uncle's factory. Then , a family friend who managed a hedge fund intro-
duced him w trading.
In his profICssiollai life. Amir conlinuNllo be an ICX]l<'rt al blocking n,'g-
mh'IC felC!inll'l. This ICnabk'<l hin' to follow the Irading rul"" his fnend laugln
h,,,' w;lho,,1 e~]leriencing "egati.· ~ r~'Clin!lS .... hen u,~ system W~nl ,nto
a dra",down. And while he was succes.~ful, inllially, as a ",oney.n,aking
trader, ilL. block...-l feelings evenlually IUl'pl~d hi.~ worht

"0'" no \ 'OL 1J F. \f. \\"11'11

'\:IW\'I'I\'I<: I' F, I<~ I , I\,"S '!

Pro,,' the c~a"'pk'S described at>.",e. ignoring and surp'..ssing n ..gati>'c

feeling.. rloes nO{ prorluce g(~"I, long.lerm results . The fullowing five Sle l'S
 LETTING GO 01' [MOTIONAL STAT[s

are louw "'lll'Y IherapiSts ur coo-d,es lrain their clien~~ lu ha"dle "egal ive
e ",,,ti,,,,",

I. Acknowledge Ihal Ihese feelings exist.

2. ~ otiCI' where (specitkally) you tel'l stresses and le"8i"'l~ in your body,
:1. Trrul~ton" (cliange) Ihe 8uhn"wlalilies (the delalls oflile story I!~~t are
drhing Ihe emolio"s.) For Hample in A"dy's case: "My falher wants
nw to be successful." Then. fonow ",-ilh a detailed story Ihat involves
the truth abum this new story.
·1. Transtoml the submodalities of Ihe emolions themselves. For exam-
ple: NoI,cc what you fC<'1 allll wl,erc yuu a .... f~"'ling 1\ and ask ,'uu",df
to rcnwmbN what il was IIkc to have good feelings in 11008(' areas of
your botly.
,. ~(}\iteS(:><'eiflcally lIow the ,'It'''Salion,, or Ille sub"'ooalil ies change or
dissipa", Iheir intensily unlil thl' teeling L. no longer a crippling L... ue,

Although lhis appears to be a simple process, mosl people find it dif-

ficult 10 accomplish withoU! Ihe assistance of a therapist or coach who is
trai"ed to facililate this model

Slralrglif2
This St"<.:ond way of dealing willi r~-elings ,s 0111' (I~~t a trader tan do on his
OW", Foll"w 1.10""" fiw stel"':

I , Acknowledge thaI the feeling exists.

2. Ilumanize Ihal feeling ami ask II thL. quesli"n : ·What are you trying '0
tell nw?"
:1. If you gel an answer, " 'rile it down. Study it. Now. make a commitment
10 do somNhing 10 change your behavior so that your behavior does
not have to giw you uncomfonablc 8<'n""tiol\.'l in ordcr 10 gel your
alten(io''-
,'o r exampl .. , Ihe a"~"'l'r you rt"I:l'iv .. could l>e:
• Yo" are over",orh...1and n~'t'd a vacation, Sol,,(ion, Co,,,,n il to laking
a ,'acati,,,,,
• You at~ strffising yo"rself and need to d,,,,,,,,,
to do activilie. that
wi!! de--stress you. Solulion: Commil to taking a walk afuor ",ork, or
going to the gym. or meditating each ",orning,
• You ntt<l help bc<:ause you cannot change thes<' feeling by you"",lf.
Solution : Co,"'nillo setting up an apJloirll,nerit I"itt, a COl",,,,,lo r or
a~""cu:h,
 ~. !fyou do nOl gel an a,,,,wcr at fiTht, thcn ask that humanized fee~ng 10
re"cul the anSw~r as soon as it f...·I~ you arc ready 10 list,·n.
l. As soon as 1'00 gcl an ans,,·.,r, you must follow throu~ on thc message
," you will ("Ontinu .. 10 s,iliutag.. you r ....10rts witll n,"gat i.·c f.... lings. If
you do not gCI an anSwcr and H'e ncgativ.,. f<..,ling Ift>""is~~ , Ih .. n you
""",I h~lp /"rt,m a {ralm..1 pr"fpssi""aI .

In uu.ding, rl"'lin~" are ,~J\ essential etc",.,."t in the d...::i.sion.making procl'&i;

however. negativ~ sensatiuns will produce sabutaged actiuns and create
los........ Negative feeling.~ c...,ate negative conditioning. (·nles.~ yuu change
th~ negative conditionUlg that prevents you frum following your rul"". that
conditioning will onll' grow stronger. Only positive feelings and the positive
conditionin..: they cwate will allow you to folio", your tradmg rules consis-
tentiy. Bl' following the Iwo strntegi"" outitned in this a"icl .... , you can begin
to lfansfonll this old e..",ditiuning intu poSili"" f.... jjngs thaI SUpIIO" your
trading, mther than sabotaging it.

I"~ !lOUl"
milld 's e!le. ollmiIJ!J (J pic/u'"I1 oj wlwi ((:ouM be tile
Weal oj a negatit'e silliol ion II uti! tlte negali~'f! pic/1I1'f!
becomes umml.
 III\PI •. ltll

Comfort in Pain

T hL< stury wa.< related to me recently by a troder named Joe_

'Success makes me II"ro'<>Jo'·la&le. For yro"s /" " bee" lel/;"II my

fa on ily a"d myself Ihal my I ife {JO<li is 10 be a s!lccesijfull rader, nlli.
Ihe Iru/l, is liwl lit" "wm"~'1 'gel 100 elose 10 ",y 11001, I salNl~fJ'J
my 1,-o</i"11 SO liwl I e,,,, /t,<1 e,-,,'uo'-Ia&le ~lIo i,,_ And (lw IIIH'I (1",(
""anW me Ow mosl i.< 11",1 /lw 1"';11 dlk'S owl 1"<1 'nc oif- InfaC!. if
I It..".., 10 be rom plelely ;',mesl. I'd Ita'''' 10 say IIwl I feel cm'uorl ,II
Ihel"';"'"

If Joe were the only trader who lo"nd co,uiort in p<~in,

it wou ld be an
inleresUng anecdote. [h,wever, far too ,,,arty tradern feel the .ame I"temal
~onfiict tI~~t Jo" feel. "" soo" a< he begi'~< tu al'Pruru:h the feelings of lui,
fill n,em and satisfaction, Suddenly. he is drawn to Ille darker side of his
life. ttoe place that feels righl to him.
One oflhe mo.n powe rful focs a traMr must face is his own comfort in
]lain What f~ds comfortable and secure can also Ix- the on~ Ihing a trdMr
onust (,,"oid. Sin~... {I'e natural hun'a" tendency is 10 go to",ard co"'fort
and away fmm dL~omfon., this attraction to Il'"
feeling of pain prest>nL<
a trader with a great. ~ont!i ct: Sho uld he be un~omr(Jnahle hy """iding the
thing (pain) that makes him reel comfort or should he reel eomfon byad-
hering to the thing that brings him pain?
 LETTING Go OF E" O'IO"-'1. STATES

As Mr. "IK>ek, th~ half.\'uican/half.human First Offic.n ,m the .Iarship

Enwlllrise, would say, it is not logicailhal an ",di>'idual would ch.....,;e pain
o"er more positi"e Hperienc"", However, this choice has nothing to do
with logic, It also h"" noth",gto do wit!, co"""ious choia", Jo.'s own story
is an aU .. .,.,.famihar on~ lIa';ng ba-n raised by highly cntkal and ,~j~'Ct·
ing (mren(.S, Joe was al".,;uston,..(1 to the f~..,lings uf ernoliunul pa in, Anxiuus
tu pl(>1ISe I,is pan 'nts, Joc's d f urts Wen, ~'OnhnuaJly mel w;ll, ridicule and
a la.:k of appreciation, \\'h~n Joe Woll the s1arring rule in his high sehool
play, his pa .... nts alwnded the performance, bUI afte,,,.-ard criliqued jus ef-
forts to the point of UlWr humihation, Ihs nearly sU"aight-A ,epon cards
elicited complaints insl<wj of pm,,..,, fo r Joc. no succ""'" brought th.: com·
furt uf 1"",,,e-uniy a sen"" of I""" and pain, H~ summed up his nperi~nce
this way:

'"Paill is my CO"UOF/ lMw. Irs IIw/ .u,lIy familio. · /110<'<' 11,,111 Ow

11<'0,'/1, fi. ·c b"nI'''Y. IIIG IwmG C()()ki"y. ,md IIw c''CF·pn'S<~'1 S<>O/S<; of
im l!m,d i "Y uwm, 'I'S Ihe plOCl! I !J<l1O ",he" I 1<,,,-'<3 a /0 ," " II:, IIIe place
'''Y!
,go 10 ,dum my IwylJli,,'c emOlioll,' .,i,-red, Irs II<.: I"'"'' I 0011<
d.'ead m,dfi"d c<mifocl in al tlw sam" lime, My pa,,,,,ls i"lrod"eed
me ro III is place as a clli/" amI et"" ,,-,W, Illem 10nY!JO>lc, I fi"" il
impossible '101 10 "isl/ it "-h",, my life lo kCIJ a I"", fOF Ole ><'orsl, "

Like JO<', many high-achie'ing: tradcrs find thcmsel""" sabotaging the"

dfoM to succeed '" ord<-, to ",'unI to the place tlw fC<'is the most com·
furtable to then'- Dra,..n to \I' e pain cornfun ,....,ne. Ihey c rcalc lus.ses in
urder to f~d \hal way onCe agai", Pain fur \I'ern h"" associations with p.~r·
en!..., wilh dlilrlhoo d, anI! wilh limes t l~~t ",ay nol hm'e hffn So hm'>eenL
1'""li"& pain ~an bring Joe and oth~r traders lik.. him a sense of C'H",cction
with peopl~ and places that are long gone but which hold a great emotional
tug on their !leans, So, f""lmg pain can almosl tw like looking at an album
of old p,n",('5. or walching an old home mo,ie. or srn~lling a pic baking in
th ~ u,",'n tl",( ' eminds ~' ou of yuur home and yuur cI'ildhuud .

1'Im ' ,LHF, OF P ,\I\'

The human hrain is a three·pound ~hemicallahoratory thai ~reales ~hemi·

cal .... SIXlllSeS to vario"" stimuli . In .... slxmse to somelhing pleasurable, we
prorluce a sel uf chemicais in our brain that make us feel an intense and
wonderful S<'nsation, As a result, "'e want to fee! that way again, and so we
try to .... I'roouc~ that p!~asurabl~ cxl' .. li~nc ... In =po""" to pain, w~ also
I'nxiucc a ",,1of che"'itai.s thaI pnxiUl... anoU'er inten"" St-I of St-"Sa!io"~
thaI We nonnally would wan, to avoid c,'er feeling again_
So, if we ,.,.., attrac:t",lro pleasure and repeU"'1 hy pain, why w(Jult[ any·
une then be drawn to pain? Not only can pain repres<>n\ a familiar pla~e Ihat
.... n"nds one of childhood and memolies lung g"n~, pain has iu; own phys-
iologicaUpsychological apP<'al As w~ eXIK'lience Imin, that same ch~""cal
r~actlOn In our brmn thai flood", us with IntenS<' ('('lings also makes us
f...,1 very much ali>'e at th .. san", time . While in 1he 1hroes of this inlen""
emoli'}IIal and physical Slate, We also I<"nd 10 blul 0"1 "nyth ing ebe Ihal is
happening at the same ti me_
Anyone who ha.~ [ost a lovwl one through death knuws that r.... ling or
intense pain that drapes everything arow.d you in a kind of misly gaule.
You f('('llik~ you arc on som~ kind of slmnge drug Ihal simultanrously
hdghlcns and dulls your ""n"'-'S, \'ou find you"",lf looking aI the world
frum Ihe u"u;id ... "0 10"Ser pan of whal l~ happening, wu"deli"g al the
foolisl"'"'SS uf I h""" aro"nd yu" whu do nol "ndersland.
In thi~ em(Jtiuna! and bi()eliemic.a1 Slate uf [ntens" p,un and lus.~, the
world l~ a \'~ry iut" ".<;e and unreal plac.e_ nUl, il can at"" be a \'~ry appeal·
ing place for anlndividuaJ who has difficulty feeling his o"-n feelings. This
state of intensily can ac:lually bffome almost addicli"~, The facl that il is
bi".cl'~nucally creat~d adds to the credibility of this obS'-' rval,on. nms , I
belie>'e that a fair n"mber of the Iraders who "nd co n,rort in pain are «C.
wal ly addiCll'{I to tI,c inl<""lie f"elings th~y " ~ pelience when H,,,y are in
paln_ Th,_ r.... lings not only feel c.omfonahle and familiar, they aL~" reel
strangely pleasant and appealing.

For a lrad~r to find comfort in pain is cquivalcrol to Slicking his own hand
i"to the l>eehi'-e_ lie is certain 10 gel stung. The quick""'l way fur hi", 1o gu
to (hal place is 1o c real~ his oWn 10I'ISeS_ A lrader ''' ay f,...1 that he simply
gues ((J that cmnf<>lting plac:e whellever he reels pain or c.xperienc..". a h""'_
[] ow",'er, "nconscl(Jusly he l~ actually drawn It. (hat place and will, ther<~
fore, create losses m order w expelience the pam that brings tum comfort.
Another way fur a trader to emer the pain comfon lOne is through the
people, places, or lim"" that he m"""", from his past. If thoS<' pcopl~ who
are \I' e !\lost dear to "S are also tied tu .."t.... ",,· pain and luss, wc a re likely
W nnd a way to Create trading los.~'8 i" ord .. r 10 be close to tI,,,,,,,,
pt"Ople
we ml<;.~_
., LETTING GO 01' [ MOTIONAL ITAT£5

lIO\,":'; I,"TO \ IIF.Tn~ R

"":I(;IIRURIIOOI)

I f you art: a trad~r who r....ls g<><>d in (h~ pa'" cU IMo" 'mw, you n~"ed to
,n",'" in[o a b<>uer neighborhooll- a cumr"" zone Iha! a1lo",s you (0 feel
guod " -h,,n t.hlngs are at!!Ually gour! and nOi palnfuL Dut huw?
Wt,en Joe d<'SCribed his pain comfort zone, he U51'd words that would
nonnally describe a warm, pleasant, and safe place:

• lhat really f,,"'ilia r pIal..,

• the hearth n .... l>un,j"g
• home ~ool<ing
• comfort
• my parents
• nw as a clnld

Th""" are the v"l)' same images thaI Joe has atlill;hed to the [""I·
ing.. or pain, (hereby making (he eJ<Pf'rience of pain a gual mth .. , than
somettting to avoid. Instead of associating pain wilh comfort, what JO<'
must do is to associate pain with pain and pleasure with pleasure. Once
he rna" ,.,. l!"~ new association , he will then mo'-" into a new comfort
wne, one that is actually comfortable w'th ha'"ing achiewxl Success rather
tha" loss.

N.. u"~li t\g"L'fj~ prugrammit\g (NLP) offers lmrle.,. like Joe a vel)' effec_
tive sel of strategies for making a change in his paucrns of bclt",;or and
thinking. This strategy will be easier and quicker Wifh fhe help of a tramed
professional, but if a t.-dder IS com,,,,ued to making the change and willing
to do the work himself, it is entirely possible for him to make this trans-
[on"atio" on his OW". I worked \.,ith Jot' on this prote&i a"tI here is what
h~ did.

• The first sfep [or Joe to take ".-as to recognize thaf he had marle deep,
unconscious assocIations wilh pain Hm! brought Inm romfon
• Tile next stICII was difficult bccallSC Joe hOO to be wilhng to experience
Ih~ pain he act"ally fell wh,·" I,is par""t~ ....jec,t'{l him. I" oIher wortls,
he hatllo be w ill ing to really ~xp~ri~nc~ the exl'.. ri"nce .
Comfort i~ Pal~

• Once he had fell th., pain, he had to be wmin..,; to f~'C1 how uncomfort·
able il r~ally was and conclude U'al h~ did nol ""ani to feel Ihal way
again .
• TI,,,n, in the mi,l~1 of th.- illle' ...... feelings, he hMI" focus on "'''n ....
thing Ihal brought him ",a1 JOY, such as laking his son out w the park
and playing calch ""ith llim on a sunny spring day
• As he raISed his feelings from pain wjoy, he then illlensified Ihose feel-
ongs unlillh{'y completely filled his lx-ing. At U,m (>Oint, he Ihen b<'gan
to picture hinlS<'lf succC<'ding in his Imding, making ""inmng Irnd"",
COllling ho"'{' 10 kll his wife and So" al>out his suc.;c"s, and all Ihe
Ihings Ihey """uld then £I" with his "ue.;.,,;.s.
• Now thai he had made his Oml new association of those feelings of joy
with Ius tradmg SUCC""", he was instructed to repeallhe new associa-
tion over and over again each day for a full ",omh. Each time he expc--
rienero the fedi~ of JOY, h" insllinUy transferred th{' mtenS<' f{'ding
of joy to i","l!cs of his tTadi"..,; s uce"""f"lIy, of h'" wi nning tradcs, and
"f his happy Ii r~ I.hat "-",,,Its frolll his ('a<h!lg suCee&!.

It was CSS<'ntial in this proc..,.,. d,al Joe was wmmg to keep workong
al it "ntil it felt perft"CUy natural . Al firsl, il f"lt u""'al ,~"d "nco",r"rtabl"
for him. Aft", all, Joe had bt--e" as.-.ociali"g pai!l with pleasu'" for a (,,"g
till'" and his itraln II.~d a long ilL"",,), of "'!~"''''n'Klating this n"ural path-
way untol it was a deeply embedded groove. However, the good ne""s is
thai Joe was {'om milled 10 working his way oUi "f hIS {'omfort on the pam
zone, amI he is no"" tradin..,; at an entirely new lewl of sueec,.,.. lie lo"cs
feeling JOy '" hi~ ~uec{'ss and in build",g I,;" new dream ho",,", f'" h,s fam-
ily. o..-easionally, he has a relallSt-, whid' is 10 l>e e'pt"Cl<-'tl. flowe"e', ""h""
he doc'S rdapse, h~ calls "'~ and "''' eo",plel~ a "isuahari"n on th~ ph"ne
thai allows him 10 jun'jl bac.k inlo ilL. new <;umfor\ zon" .

Trader.;; who have experienced pain in their childhood on a regular basis

are at great risk for finding comfort m pam. Th,s associat,on of pain with
comfort makes a tradler far more jik{'1y to sabolage ju" lrading m order 10
pul him i"l" his eo",fort "..,"e . A"y oIhe' loss "r pain ;n his life will bring
hi,,, inw Ihis ,one and all""" hi", 10 Slay in iI, unwilling W bring suce..,.,s in!"
his life with the diS<;'H"f"'t il ""ould create in hl. world. The best way oUi
of Ihl~ n"gativ<> situation for a trader is to "ither ",orl.: on hL~ own or wilh a
tramed professional W break Ihe association he has ,,'ilh pain. making the
expcrience of pain to b<' uncomfortable and linkong: SUCct'SS with comf"rt,
 LETTING Go OF E" OTION'" STATES

instead . Once a !fader has been able to make the change III his assoclalions
wilh ]lain, like Joe, he will dlscow·r Ihat the world of ~ucc"""fuJ trading
truly oJ",n" up for him for Ihe 11nl! time.

Complimentsjeel good 011 00/11 ~ide~. W/wl jee/i'lg dQ oollt

side~ Iwve Ivilli complailll~?
 III\PI •. ltl.

Don't Complain

hL< simple piece of ad,;~e ~ame from IJ.et\jamin DL<"",h, arguably the

T most lamous Englt5h statesman of the nineteenth cemury, and cr..-

tamly the most colorful one; "Don't compla;n, don't expla;n,"
Dt~fadrs recommcndation could ~asily have b""" direcU'd to tmM",
today as an excd lent means of increasing thdr profits. How? JuS( lor
startc"" I~an\i"g how 10 s(oP cOIuplaining and ~.plaining will (ira'''at ically
incr~ase your S<'''S<' of power and inllu.'nee in your proressional and [><,r·
S<>I\allife. A"'' 1Seof perS<JIlal power is vital 10 building self..,,,nfidence,
which is one of Ihe keys to making mon"y in the markets.

Wl"u does it mean to complain? When you "om 1'1 am, you are probably
doin..: one of Ihe following'

• express ing unhappines.~

• ,'erbalizing the fact tha( you aJ'(' experiencing distress, pain, iIIn""",
I<>S:'!, 0. cmotional upset
• acc""ing son",,,nc of doing so",Nhing distr<'SSing, ;Ucpl, ". undesir-
ablc
• prok'Siingso"'clhing

Wha( DiSl"deli ",calli about complamin.o;, of course, ""ill n,'w. be

explai"cd . n"t, fro", wlW r have ""-,,,n of trode", "'ho do a 101 of iC
 LETTING GO 01' [MOTIONAL STAT[s

co'"plai" i"S rar~ly .... sullS in a succ..-r;sful prof"ssional alld p..",,-,nal OU(,
c.ome for them_ Why"
I" short. when yuu c.omplain you are expres.~ing dl",<;atl<factlon with
tlungs the way they are, When yo" chronically complain. you are giving
pubUc expression to a pri,·ate sense of powerlessness, victimlwod, and
passi,;ty Chrome complalne,," arc ""~;ng, In efT<'ct, that they arc nol reo
sponsibl{' for the condilio"" of their own happiness and wcll b-clllg, Many
c hnmic co'"pla ineffl have n",-~r SlOPI",...1 f...,ling, unconsciou"ly, UW t Iwy
are slill children who are wail;ng fur their paren!.. '" any ..";po,,sible adult
to lake care of t.hem and to corr...,t their pf!>hlem-<_ l;nfortw,rueiy, the. is
not an uncummun feeling.

1'1"'; \\lIIU:R TRlIH': R

Mark is a trader I.,ho Ca"'e for consulUng work wilh a long liSI of c om-
plain!.. about hi. Imrling, the market.q, the induRiry ... ",i,y pfl>vid.,rs, his
wife, his c hildren, and life in general. fitrangely, Mark had cume frum a sta·
ble and lming home, about which he should ha"e had no cum plaints. And
yet he did. llis parents did nut do enough fur him. They should have given
him a better educatiun , a b-cner neighborhood, a biAAer allowance, and so
un. The truth was that they had given tum far too much ~lark had never
l>eell trainl'(tlo set' that he would haW! to provid~ fur Ilimseif. 1'\Stead, his
parent.. were alway. Ilwre to bail him out, 10 .oothe hl~ troubles away, and
ea.<;/' Ihe paln of gruwing up . T he result fnr Mark wa.< the expectatiun thaI
someone should be doing this for him the ..,,;1 uf his life, And wh~n the uni-
verse did nOl wl,'e all of his problems and meN all of his expectations. he
complained Fur Mark, complaini,\,Il "'-'" a symptom of his failure 10 grow
into all adul( who was willing and able to take r"e1;11U"Sibilily for him""'lf, to
,,,...,t his own ,,,,..<is, and 10 sol'-e his own prol>k·,"s.
ll elping Mark 10 understand what he need...-l tu do was nut easy and il
r",,(uired him tu perfonn a 101 of soul· ... arching. One <>r the most pO"'erful
moments in tillS process was when he lislen~d to a tape of hIS interview
with me. llitening to himself cumplaining about everything " -,.,, painful for
him b«:ause he had newr heard himself in tile role of ·tlle great wh;ner.-
Wh~n Mark b-cgan 10 reduce his coul plaining to a reasonable le>'ct, but h his
prufessiollal and pe!'SUnallives b-cgan 10 impro>'" dra,uatically.
In st.'Il"k c..,m ra.<t It, Mark i< ,molher trader, Edward . Dun, to a heroin·
addicted mother and an unk"own father, Edward WaS placerl in fOOler c.are
at the age of six months, After three years, his grandparents finally lo-
cated Inm and gained legal custody, rescuing him frum a life of poverty
and insccunty, ThN!C wunMrfull'{'ople mOOI him from that time unward
Dan 'f Camp/uin

in a nurtunrl.l\ en",ronmen( in wbich Ih<-y sN r<-"""nable limns and

eX]>eCtal.ions.
AH an adult , &lwanl iH graldul for cv~rything and complailL< at..JUI
nothing. lie is respectful and loving towanl the grandp.~rent~ who rai'*'ll
him. Instead of eX]lecting Ihem to educate him , he Joined the mIlitary to pay
ror his c on~ge and graduate school degrl>eS lIe feels totally responsible ror
his life and is willing to do whatever it takNl to reach his ~oals .
n'e postscript to this stury is that a tI<"prived early life does not ""'a"
tilat you ~i",ply walk away with a sen.se of grati1ude anti personal respon ·
sibility_ Edward at"" Iw.ars "CaTS and SUm,TS rrom depression and low ... If·
,,,;t,,,,,,, . II .. "wrdy 1~'1s a different ""t of ~ hallenges to ""ereome_ [Jut, h..
has the great sirenglh that com..,; from the wilhngn<>ss to take responsibIl-
ity and nol complain .

"111'; IIWII ( :OST 01' ( :tUII'I , \nin:f;

On" of the co~\8 of eomplaini"g is that people do not "-ant to be arountl

you_ Among Ihe ,nany rea.""!l' ror this fa.;t are:

• It is tedious to lislen to someone complaining. (Unspoken Respm .....:

Who wants to be bored?)
• Complaini,l.I\ brings do"'." Ihe emmionall<-mperalure of a social gath·
ering_ (Unspok"n R..spon.se: Who wan\!l to ita'-e a bad tinle juSI whcn
you were having suel, a good one?)
• Complainers S<'em weak and powerles.• . (I],c<p()ken Resl"""*" Who
wants to be around som""ne like Ihat?)
• Complaints remind everyone else abuut a problem th~y are trying to
solve on Illclr own or a"oid, if (>O!ISiblc, (Un"pokcn Respon.s<': Who
wanlS 10 oc anxious all o"er again?)
• Complainers appear to be pessimistic, wi\J, the underlying assu"'ption
that things are always I~~d ,md hopeless_ (1]IIsf",ken R"';f""c<;e: Who
n<'f'<i. thaI mes.~age?)
• Complainers sometim..,; appear to ha,'e a hIdden agenda. which "'Ihat
the)' are actuaily askIng the listener to take respo""ibiUty for fixIng
the problem. Or worse, Ihey ar<- actually blanml.l\ thc H"tener for the
problenl . (Unspoken R<""pon",,_ Why would J want to nx your proble'"
or take tile blM'e ror it? Get k...l')

Thus, you c.an measure the Orst c""t or c.omplaining by all of tI,e 1'''''1,1..
who do nOl want 10 stlend Itme with you , lislen to you, work wilh you, or
dellCnd upon you. The second great cosl of complainutg is Ihe loss of your
., LETTING GoOf [ "OnoN"" ST.t,nS

0"',. self~teem . If you a .... a chronic complainer, you have relinquished

tbe seilS<' of personal power that com"" with takif\ll responsibility for 001,-,
ing you r prubkm" and for your own r""lif\l\>l, happiness, and wcllb<-ing,
This loss of pcrsonal power I~a,·es an individual reeling w~ak and victim_
;z,,(I, wi(.h the ,,-,,<oil thaI he tw.....,rnt'$ angry and dCl'ressetl and hi~ senSe ur
him.·,,,lf suff~",_

TI R\:l'\:f~ UOW\: Tilt:

( ;0"1"1 ,,\1'\:1\'(0 VOl ,Llm

II."", are fou r dr"",;"" str-d,,,gi,,,, for graduaUy rNludng the amoum of com-
plaining thaI you do.

Si r:II'1:1 ,.
listemng to yourself: On" of Ihe simplest ways to stop complaHling is to
listen to your.;elf talk. Actually hswn wilhout Judgin.o; or ancmpt ing to cen-
SOT Many people (nink Ihat they can will th"",sd,-",, to stop. 1I0w"""r, Just
det<mn;"jng that you will "o",plain l.,;;.s ,nay aClwdly "'ake the ~iluation
wo.,;". Y011 will be r""uSing (}n "'hM nUII(} ,I<>. y,,"r brain does n(}[ pn>c~'SS
the wllrd "nol" So 'nueh as it CrPatl'S pictur"" IIf things fur goal ""Iting.
Th"rPf"rP, when y"u teU yourself n,>I (II Ihink a1>OUI that chocolate cake,
all your brain hears is "chocolate cake: and you will simply I>e crealing
the ima.o;e "f It In your mmd, Hili" making (\ '5cn more rcal to you. When
you bSlcn to you"",lf as you talk. and yuu do (\ without any sense of judg,
"'ent, yuu ",ill actually hear whal yuu arc saying. Just like Ihe great whin·
ing trader, Mark, whu beg,~11 lu (urn around his ~'Qn\plaining aller hearing a
lape of his inIP"'ipw, y"u can crPate Ihe same effect by simply Il~lening to
yourself talk.

Surf(}und yuu.,;"lr wilh nunculIIl,lain",.,.. RCnle,,'ber "'hen yu"r part'nts

","uld say, "Dird. IIf a feather nock logeth"r"- Well, "arUy, they we .... righl
about Iha( one. A gllod example of Ihis principle ",a.~ a trader r ","r k... l
",ilh Ih"'" years ago. John changed lim,s from one at which everyone com-
plaine<! 10 another where complaining was co",sidered bad foml. Within
a bnd period, John's complainin,o; had stoPlwd completely. It is instruc'
livc to Itsten to the prople in your pc"",,,al and professiunal life. lIa....
yuu s" n-ounde.J ~'ullrst"lr w;l.h cu,nplai n~.-s? Do Ih,·y see'" It> play (ill' u"e-
IIpmanship gam~ to.""", who Ita.. the most about which III cllmplain? If "",
Don'! ComplQiN
"
yuu may wanl 1<) find frie",1s who are mo", rusiU"e and who I~we a ""ns"
of personal responsibilily,

S lr:llt'g~' '3
I\~~p ajournal Writ~ down th<' thmgs about which you find you"",U com·
plaining. AliN ~act' CU"'lllainl .• ""rile a 'ltrat~gy fur eilh .. r corn,eling Ihe
situatiun yuu.-;elr ur fur dealiug wiU. il in a way UW mak,'S you f,,<,1 "m·
IlOwerf'd and n<>l f""ling like a ,itti,,,. For example, if you are always com-
plaining aholll Ihe drivers on the ruad alUl what idio(.\I d,ey a ..... you cuuld
dl'Cide w leave five or len minutes earlier so Ihal you are ne,'er in a rush
and will not need w care if you are !>el\lnd a slow dnver. Thus, you have
lak~" r","po""ibilily for your situation and for your f('{'lings,

S WIl('~' '4
Get help. Find a cuunselor wh" can help you In work uul your f""ling.~
uf powerl"""ness and anger. Somelim .... Ihe faslesl way lu lransfurnl al-
liIUd,, ~ is (hrough Ihe feedback you ge( from tl'" outside world. For (hal

.eas"" you may also ""nsiMr juinifl.Ol Toaslmaster>! l>N:auS(' il is a wund~r­

ful way 10 bwld ""If..-sl('{'m

Th,· (:,. "'" ",r l·r"n~" ... n'h'y (:" .. pl.lInh,g Many years aso, I at·
lend",1 a IhrPfYlay personal ,Ievelopmenl pmgram lhat required the 40 or
50 panicipants 10 Ii"e together al Ihe dewlopment center for the entlJ"(' two
and a half days. One rt'Sult of Ih'" dose encounl", with wtal stmll~~'" ,..as.
after th~ 1i"'1 night. a !K'ril'S of complmnts 10 thl' program l~ader and sug·
g~'Sliu'\S about how \0 nlak~ \h,- prugra,,' b,-Iter. Now, this prugran' t,-ader
was a "l'ry skillful ;ndividual and each ti"'e h~ was pr~""'ntl'd wilh a Com·
plainl.. he woullilisle" very carduUy, paraphrase back Ihe compL1.InI {<) Ihe
complalner's satisfaction, and agree that the prnblem did indeed exisl and
needed fixing, Then, he would slrullgly urge Ihe complainer 10 take respon-
sibili.y for sol'1f1.Ol th~ problem, In ""me CasN, he "'ould acluallY assign the
parlicipant Ih" JOb of sol'~nj( Ihe probl~m wuhin a s]lecified P<'riod or lim~.
tI'"
1\,...... lk-ss 10 say, n"'''ber of cUUlplai"ts dropped w no'hing. Ju lhe '''ea'' ·
•" "~, O'e prugram in"prowd, as participants w,· .... shan'etJ 'lOt" solving Ihe
p",l)le,,,s ah",'t which Ihpy had c.omplain'~.
\\~\al th" able leader of lhis P"'gralll had dn"e wa.< lu combine lhr~
posilive results:

I. !i~ allowed us to h"ar o""",ln", as complamers-an ex])<'nence Ibal

few of uS I>:I<J e,'cr had_ in a public "cuue. W~ also heard othcrs Com·
plain and we could hear "u.-;el",,,, irl Iheir ,·oie...,.
 LETTING Go OF E" OTIO"-'1. STATES

l . Ik allowed US 10 grow In personal ",;,;ponsibility by ma kmg uS account·

abte for the thillgs about which we con'ptained.
:1. Ik showed us I,ow to tmnsfom, complamin.o: into pusitin- act,on.

l ·",... h'~ \lh ln l"~ In l " \,'. '"n'pttshn",,,' NOI at! ~'OIIlptaining "~~ds
to be n"-'<~IIing and whining. In fael-, the right killd of cOlllpta ining can bring
al",ut I"";iti"p transfonnaliOle< when it tmogel.. pr"blems that need to be
c.orrect.,,-t . Rob"" Kegan m1<ILisa Laskow 1.~hey sp .. "t 15 y..atS studying
the subject of complaining. In th.... book, How Ihe Way lI'e Talk COl'
Clla "!JC Ille Way 11'<' 1I'01'k: Set'Cn Lanfl"agcs for TransfOl"flwl ;011 (J05S<'Y-
Bass, 2000) they ",-rite about how complmnts, 'f pro)}<,rly d<'Coded, can be
turned inlO thc -language of commitment- and pusiti"e transfol11lation ,
Tt,~ 8(~1>S (0 tun'illg l'<JIHplainillg ill(o p'JSili,'c Ivols for (f;)llSfonllUtion
start with d"'!o,e<trucling the complaln! itself by asking "un'e impurtant
qLleSlio,e<:

• WI..u Haetly is the complaint?

• Is thc complaint well founded? Is it real and nce<ls to be COff""tc<l?
• Is the on<- who is complaimng committed to ~'Orrccting the suuanon?

To ansW(' r the firsl qu(';';t,on, you nc<'(j to be abk 10 clearly state the
pmbl~II'- If yo" are complaining that yo"r partller newr li~tcll' to you,
l~ the pmble, ,, wid, your partner or yuur expe<:tatiO'L~ mI(l feelings abuut

himllwr or yourseltl If yuur partner never lis","-< and the resuh l~ l'wblems
in your trading business. then the problem is r..al, [fthe pmblem is real, are
you committed 10 cOfferting it? If so, ""hat a", you willing to do and how
win you know ""hen it '" corrected?
But, suppose you discover Uw YOUf complaints arc actually based on
~'our fe<o>lings uf powerlt"SSn~'SS alld di&~PJlui"tme"l and anger. II-'hal Ihen"
Are yuu simply a {'o ,nplainer Who lo"ks for things to kvNd' ali"ut? Con.
sider the r"'!t that I"'hind ""elY ~"'nplain! is an idea or a I"'lief or a value
tbm a person is committed to. GN to (he heart of your reeling.. What is the
Ilwblem ? Inst ead of dunking of yourself as a complainer, think of yourself
"" ""mcone commine<! to ",,",cUung- a )}<,,,,,,n ""ho idcntifi(,;,; a problem ,
,s committed to improving d,e situaUon, and ,s a problem ""Ivcr, Then, em-
IlOw~red with this und{''''t,~nding, yo" call " ,I un, to our liSI "f s\rakgi~s
and add the final one :

S[ r;ll n :ll t:')

Take actio" 10 correct the problem, Stan by devel<Jping a plan for solv-
in~ Of correcting Of rNlucmg the pwblems 11"'1 arc at the bean "f your
Don 'f Comploin

complaints. Now lhat you are S{'~il\g each of yoW" complaints as a legiti -
mal~ probkm thm n{'{'{\s resohifl.ll and Ihm you arc a p~""'n committed
10 doing SO, you can l>egin lh~ prot-ess or taking action to i"'pro"e you.
lif~_ Once you start 0" this P.~lh, ~'ou witt dran'aticatty ,ncrease ~·o"r SCnSC
of l>ersonal p<,w~r and your selkonOden~e, and your trading and pernonal
life willlmp",,,e a.. a result.
If yo" are reading tins and pointing a finger at som<'One else who is a
compwll\,'r, rathN than discuSl!lfI.Il wilh him !10m h~ IS a cOlllplmn~ hand
him this ehapler.

(;O\:C:I.I SIO\:

Complaining L. a losing strategy for traders, resulting in a dedine in yonr

seIlS<' of personal power and self-confid~nce, and ultimately afferts yo"r
bottom line. llut. compiaimng as a way of life can be transformed Into a
new way of looking m you"",lf as a committed problem sol'-er. This em·
powering new stmt<'gy has th~ potential 10 lill you out of a dead-end way
of condul1ing your profc_""io""1 and peTsonal affairs. Through the passage
of ti,n~ "nd a l'"nwry of ...",..urd, inlo the human condilion. il appea'"
that tilL. L< what Disraeli "leanl whe" he ad\i.""", "Don't "omp lain, don't
explain,"
 P\RIIII

Taking Right
Action
Making rotls«ulh'e good dwices willl<l!owbull you
;"/0 (l momentum of mOre good c/wicrs.
 III\PI •. ltll.

The !\tomentum
of Choices

on'l bf! afraid. Thi.. c.hapler L. nOl about physiC'<. It is, however, a

D chapter about how W creale success in life.

If you ";ant to be wildly successful In me, one of Ih~ mosl im-
porumt kcys wad"",;,,!! succ<'ss IS 10 crealc 1l10nwnlull1- lhal po";crful
fu.-.:c of muwnwnl forward- Ihm Hlcmlly pulls and push"" you 10 SUtCCSS,
despite ollslades ill the way and despile the Mag of lIegMive forces. M..,..
lI\enlUIIl is IIOt magic bul it can appear 10 bt, magical whell il tal<es huld
of a person'~ path tn su~~ess. nowe,"er, there is ""thing magical al".ut the
creation of momentum . Every inch of success that r""ults from momentum
can be measured by the chole"" that you make along the way.

n"rillg uur day, we arc cuMrullled I.;ilh chuice>!. I'ur exuII'ple:

• Shuuld we get up now and dn that early ",oming run or gN 20 "'oN'

minut"" of sleep?
• Should we grab that donut for breakfast or sit down for a healthy meal?
 • Should we pay Ihal old b,lI or lake Ihe motley and go oul for an upen-
sive dinner ",ilh friends"
• Should we watch ou r favorile It'I" ";,;ion Show or s pe nd U.e lim" h,·IJ).
illg our SOil wil h his malh ho mework?

The list goes on and Oil and on. We are making choices ",h ~n ""e are
nol aware of making them , and we are making choices when we chOOS<' to
do nothing.
You can lhink of your hf~ as a ""ries of savings accounts, t:ach lime you
ma ke a choiet', you are puWng capilal in one of yoor al"<': ooots. Ooe aCCount
l~ fur yo ur fUlure, 'Uld o ne is fur your health , and ()ne i~ for yuur family, ami
o ne l~ for your car<><>r, and one i. furyour educalion. On the udwr hand , you
can also have accounts thaI have increasing balances fo. your ilI ·health. o.
an accounl fo. your poveny, or one fo. your increasing waistline, or one
for your detcriomtnl,O( prop~ny "alue, or OHe for your fuml"(' londi" """, or
onp for you, fUlo", unemploY""enl , or 0"1' for your add i,1,io",s.
o..'er time, Ihest' accounts add up. F:ach deposil yoo make in an ac·
COUllt cr~ales momenlum in lhat di'..::!;O'L Th .. bigger Ihe aecum'l , the
,nore weighl II has III pull YlIU in a partic ular direction. As your edu,!a.
lio" accou!ll increases, il has more and more force to pull yo" in Ihe di·
rectio" of SUCCl'SS in hfe, twcause educaled penple haw more kno,,'ledge,
which &i""" you more powe. , authorily, and influence Thc more chok ....
yo" make each day, hO"" e""r, 10 r,.....1~'o"r atldiCli,m~, Ihe [«o re power they
ha"e to !!'o"e you in a complelely di fferent tlir....:tio« . Th~ rno ,uentu ,(( "r
Ihese c.hoie"" ", ill "",ve your life lowanl self..-l""truction. los.~, poverty, so-
dall'IUla\ion, a«<1 illnes.~.
In an ",Ie",,;ew wilh a lelev;";on repone. , \!,e actor Vin Diesel lalked
about jus road to success. When he was in his carty Iwenties living in N~w
York City, \'ill and Ius fnends "'e.e all IlYlll.'l 10 beco",e acto",. At nighl ,
aller U'eir daytin'e jobs. Ihey would all go Oul and party, Vin, ho",p"er,
stay.'ll ho rne and siudied and prepa",d 10 be<.;o[«e an aclor. lie [«ade Ihe
c.hoice each night 10 c"mmil 10 his rutUrf', Iii. frie",L•. in an ane ,,,p! 10 in·
Ollence hl~ decision 10 Slay home , ridieul ...1 and rcased him. Ilowever, Vin
continued to make Ihe ch",ce each ",ghl to pUI enNgy into his educalion
and care<', accounts. It look lim~ for these accounts to build up ",,,men·
lum, Bm, eventually, Ih.,y were largt' enoUJ!h 10 create enough ",onwntum
to gd his cart..,r rolling.
You Ca« argu.' thai Vin;,; nul yuur favorite aClor, that he is nOI a greal
laienl , or that he ,Ioes ,wI get Ihe mosl c.hallenging rol",.. Thc fact l~ that
'"tn kepI making Ihe choic"" lhat erealed enough momentum u) mo"e him
in Ihe d,rectlun he dreamed uf going. On Ihe ol her hand , nune uf his old
frie nds ever made il as aclors, Their choices d,d create momentum, but
not in U,e nghl rurect;o"
Th. Mam.num, of Choice.. I DS

1'1I F, C:UOIC:": 1'0 'r t; H\i U :UO\'S

1\11'0 !.Imo"\I'"

Any cho,,,,, w'e make can tum out to b€ Me altering. We can eh!>OS<' to
takc"n ail1llan~ /light that terrorists board and steer imo the World Trad('
Tow<,,,,, Or we call choose to sit ill th .. from row of a history class in coil<,..,;e
right ne . 'lo a Sl ude"t whon' We e>,,·"tually marry_Or We Can eh"""" gel
our lIu shot 0" the day juSt befort: th,· supplies n,n out and we sun!ive a nu
.0
l'ande"'l~ while others do noL Those art> serelldil'i(oll.~ choices_
The ""lSt Imp'!n",nt choice with which we are all confronted l~ what to
do with the hand we are dealt, No one gelS to ~hoose whether to have blue
or brown ey,-"" whcth<'r to ha>'c long shapel)' legs or shon stubby on,,!!, or
to h~v(' an IQ of 150 or an IQ of 110. \1'(, do not ..,;~t 10 choose our families
or the CO,"" ry or neighborhood in(o which " -e a .... bont. We do not get to
choo",' whether We ,,' ill be bon' wit h beau'iful bolle struet" .... in our rae ....
or whether we will develop ch inl",,-~ fa<:e< with eyes that are to" dose and
t~~th that come in at all angles. Life is not faJr and W'e get what we get.

Based on the haJld you are dealt In hfe. here are some of the chok<'S
you can makc:

• If you are bl<,ssro with ..,;ood ronune (i ... " good h('alth, ..,;ood looks, I,i.o;/l
inle llige" ~'C, loving pan'nts, material co",ron , education, a 'lUIble and
r...., SOCiety) you can n>ake anyone orthese neg.~ti'·e choiCe\! or,
• Taking for gramerl your g",od fortune aJ"! S<ju,mdeling it
• Abusing your body and your mind with addictive substances
• Complaining that your life is not perfr>ct enough and that you don"t
ha>'c cwrythillll
• FC('ling a ""'IS(' of cmit lcm('n! and cx[>ffting to be giwn c>'crything,
alld k,,"ling II,,· righl to takc ,,"(talc>'cr you want
• Feeling gUilL fllr your g()(>rt fortune aJld sabotaging it in order to
lessen your feelings uf guilt

Or you can make some of these positive cbo,('es of:

• Feeling gratitude for your good fortune, treasuring it. and caring
for it
• Sham>..,; your good fortulle with oth('", 1('..... [onunatc
• Using your good fortuue to crt:w ~ Illorc good fortun ..
• II', how""er, you are deal. a hand wi(l, miSfortune, you Cau make thc
n<>ga.tive chui,!ps of
• Feeling sorry for yourself for your poor fonune
• Feeling angry and making others pay for what you do not have
 • Ilurting yourself funher by failing: to care for yourseU and by sabo-
taging youl>I<'lf
Or yuu can make some of the l"lSitiw choi~"" when you are dealt a
tough hand to play:
• F.... ling gratitude ror the hlessings you do have
• [detllifying yuur strengths and developing them funher in order (0
offset you r weakn"""""
• Finding cTl'ative ways to o'-e":o,,,e or reve"", your lac k or li""ta·
lioas
• Taking Care of your.;elf in order to l>uild a S( rong~r foundal ion

I hav~ worked wilh a n" mtler of individuals who werc l>ono with se'-cre
handicallS, 8<.""e of which ,,'ouhl tie lh~ perfect rt:lIS<>n for nc,'cr aUen'pt-
ing to do anything in life but wait to die. Because I am a suc.c.."." ~oa"h,
thes<' panicular indi,iduaIs came fur coachUlg because they had a c.om-
mitrnent to ... aching thell" fuU human potential. regardless of their physical
limitatio"". They had s imply made the d.'Cision to make [emonadc out of
lemo"",
I.(LSI year, a sen'inar prun")IN who was puWng together a n'ilior gym·
p"sium in Etogland imited ,to" U, be one of the principle speakers. [ ru:.
~ e pterl the in,italim, and prompt ly made plans U) atte nd. Un(onu nate[y,
th e promowr was forced to ... schedule the program , but assured me thaI
the newly scheduled symposIUm would be a great success, Thus, after ... -
couplng a I""" on my Ii",t ftlghl res<''''ation, I boug],t a second tlckCI and
made ncw hotel rcse".-mio",..
A weck and a half tleforc [ was to I~aw for llw sy " 'posi""" [ recc i"ed
word that II was canceU ...!. My llight wa.~ no( refun,lable and [ wa.. o"nmit·
t~d to going. I had b""n deall a lemon and [ chose 10 tUnl il inl<> [emOI~~,[e.
That choi"" prO\ided me " ith the energy and determinatiOlI I needed to
make phone ca[1s and write emails to people in LondOlO who "light De in-
terftlted in hearing me s(>Cak. Beforc I kncw it, [ had morc Ihan enough
le"'o"ad~ Ihan [ "ced~'t11O Cover n,y e .pellSe$ and to CO"'pcn8al~ " 'e for
ll'e loss of rc"enu~ [ had e.pecled fro'" the lrip . In fact, it tu",ed oul ,hal
the ~ru,,!~ jjation of Ihe original speaking engagement was a go.,,[ thing, .....
suiting in a far Dell'" OUl~o",e for me than [ would have had Without lhe
cancellatiun_
The", are no guarantees that you will always De able to \Uno your
lcn,o"" Into lcmonad~ , If you fail, you will still be left wilh lemons, [f you
~"cc",--d, ~'ou will newr be sorry yo" took t he risk. lIowcwr, whether you
SII«eed or fail, th~ decision (;> take p()6itive al1ion will c.-eale "'O"'en,,,,,,
in the righl r1i.-..:;tio,,_The decision 10 wallow in your [0&."" c.ru, only "I"<'ate
m'Jlnen\Um in a negative ,lirection .
TM Momon!um o(Choiu, un

I\:(;RI'; ,\SI\,I; TII.~ ~un"~ \,T t; ~1

..... "OLR . :IIOU:I': S

So, "UW Iha( yuu call see (I'e l>e,,~fi(.S <>r ,,'aki"g Ihe righl ch<>ices, huw d<>
you get st.uted? Foll"w th.- six S(~PS_

I. Th~ firsI Sl~p

10 incrcasillJl Ihe mum" nlum uf yuur "hokes is 10 be
aware thaI y<>u are ,"aking chuiees. This step is nut as Nlily as il sounds.
We make most uf ou' chuices "ne'<.>"'lCiu",ly an<Vur all tomal-ically_ As
yuu (ak" "arious "eps during the day, jUst be aware Ihat each one,..,..
O~L~ a choice, and jusl acknowl",-lge 10 ynurself that yuu have just
made a choke and what i! was.
l . Now Ihat you at"£' awat"£' <>f tlw act of making choices throughout the
day, stan asking youl>I<'lf whal chok"" you would ,,,ally hkc 1<> make
In various pans of your life, F<>r "xampl~, what chotcl'S wou ld y<>u hke
10 l>e '''aking in Y"'''
career, in y<>ur hume life, in Y"'''marriage, in
y<>ur publiC life, in yuur health ""d well being, in JOu' financ~~1 life, and
so on?
3. If yuu are unable t<> see wha( d'oic~s "r-e a>'ailable tu yuu, then sil d<>w"
and wrile oul a plan for your life_ What. are your goal.? Whal kinrl of
I.fe d" you want 10 l~we?One of the fasu"-I ways 10 llml out whal you
t"£'a1ly wanl from y<>ur life is to wrile out your own eulogy Prelend
!hat you have rea"h'-'<l the end of your Itfe, Wbal do yo" "'0"/ 10 say
about your !if" and how you !i>-cd it. Thi~ is not Ih" lime 10 eensor you r
thuUJ!hlS, but 10 leI Ih"m lake flig!'l
~ . Now hst Ihe chojc"s you will ha\-e 10 make to crooatc lhat !ife you would
like tt> live . Ta ke a louk a( Ihc'''_ Yuu might jusl ,,'anl to slart wiU, a
fcw ch<>ices that are casy tu make, antilhen, une'" you ha>'e inwr'\J""
ralcd Lh""e ea.~y ehoie"" .nlo yuur rlaIly life, y"u can take "n bigger
chaJlenges.
~ . Remember. Rome was nO! buill in a day. It was built in leM uf Ihou-

"""ds of days. All great achkwm~nts arc th" resull of things thaI were
don" ~ach day-oft"n very s maJl tl!inj(!! Ihat ",,,re done "ad, and {'Very
day . So, ,nake certain thaI you ,n"ke (hose small [l""i(i~e choices each
Ij"'e, e~ery day_
6. Now that you have decided which choic"" you want to make, reward
yuursel f each Ii,ne yuu make a good cho ice . Rewarding you"",lr when
yuu make positive chuices will reinfuree your d~ision 10 ,"ak,· (I,use
chuices. That. re'nforee,nenL "ill help you t.<> make {[,,,,,e ch,,'c"" aut.<>-
malieaUy_ AUlomatic pos't;"" cho.ces are Ihe hesl ones 10 make_ TIwy
build the kind uf momentum Ihal is unsloppable
,..
( :0 \'e:I .L S 10 \'
How ~a" you tell if your ~h"ic.e. are "resting ",o",entum? That's "aHy. Just
look at the results. You are building momentum when opponuniti<'S begin
to look for you and not the other way a",und. You are on a momentum
roll when you rcd good about YOUlN'lf, wh"n you ha'-c en{'rgy, when you
f<'C1 positn-" and motlYalro, and ,,-]wn you can S<'C success within reach bt--
ca use yuu are ad,icvlug small gwls along Ii,,, way_ Mono"n, "'" builds ,N,,'
h", .., so do "ul e"pe<..1!o l>e slea.mroll;ng toward your s,,~·..;es.~ ;IIlIned ialely,
JUHI .... meml><!r that each time yuu make a c.huiCf' that soppons your g"al~.
you are addmg to your momentum. The mo,"" deposilS of positive choices
you make imo your goal accounts, the ras,er you will see prog .... ss toward
your gmtls.

aue of tlw be~1 wailS /0 1(!(j'~1 II les,;",," i.s 10 l(j~'e (Jclio/!.

 111\1'11 , 1(17

Action Is the
Bottom rJine

ner many years of workin!! with some of the finest traders in th~

A "'orld , I han' amvcd at the conclusion that it is not what traders

say but wlml th~y do Ihat mak"" Ihe d;rrer~nc c bcl w e~n failur~ and
"lICC,,,;s. If wki"g Ihe righl actio" is Ihe h·y 10 "'aking "'oney for a trader,
Ihen III~ qu"",ion bc<.;0""'S: What leads a IradN '0 ,ak~ thaI action?

The phone rings. On the other end "f the line l~ a lrader who tells me wilh
pridc in IUs voice IMI he is Irading wilh a modest amounl of capitaL Ile
also tens me thaI his "'ife and family are supportIve of IUs efforus and thaI
he will do whaw'er IS lIC<:cssary 10 b<- successful. !.aler Ihat day, I h~ar
from another Ir.ul~r who com,.,. inlo lradlllg w illl five 1111"''' Ihe capit,,1 of
Ihe flrsl Irader. 1J0wevt·r, he d.....s nol 'l<"e IIinl""lf M havillg adell"alt: ....
SOu rCes 10 "'ake Ihe I,N"Ol\al inv,-",lrnelll Ihal is rK"Ctk"tllo bt"t:o"'e a lop
Irarler. lie feels that his family is unsul'l,,-,rtive and he Mbal"" about 1111'
lime and money Ihal will be T<'quir<>d 10 continue his educalion as a trader
The first lrader is well on Ius way to success, wrule the second has placed
ro::rdblock s directly III hl8 own path, Th ~ fi"'ltrad~r can mke posith·~ ac-
tion, while the """o"d trnd~ r I",,,,itm,,,,,
What "'all'S til,· diffc,..."ce i.>elwecn Ihlose traders·' The differellce is
not tl"an~ial resoof<;l'S, hut the perc.epth>ll or whal th,_ TCS<>un:;es are.
II "w you SN, y"urself an d olhers will largely detert"in .. the aclions that

109
". T~K I NG RIGHT ~CTION

fuilow. It is th()/l'~ actl"".~ that ....ill c .."ale Ihe r"warrL~ t!~~l you 'Pap. T he
traders who know how to measure whal IS needed and w ill pay the re-
quired price are the traders who will ulumalely become successful. [ft hey
!)('r<:ciw Ihdr """,,[s and 5Ce the . -alue in meeting tho"" needs, then they
arc moti>'ale<\ 10 act- But finn, they must have a clear .isio)\ of all 111m
(I,,,y have and all thai they eould be.

I saw the movie All Abo,,/ Sc/, no ifil, It is an excellent SIOI')' filled w ith many
good 1'-"l&J"~ rur (raders. Schmidt was au ;"s"ranc~ agent facing "'(i .......
'''"nl who mU8\ to nte 10 grips with lifelong paUenos or 8C1rt~h and n<"gat ive
thought. and action.~. Just Iwf"", hi.. wife die., Sclunidl ob"" ....'''"' ho", all
of hl. wife'~ habit. are growing ""pe<:ially aomoy;ng to him , I Ie Imrie,; her in
a cheap casket. which is an act thai is consiswn! with his treatment of her
in their marriage Schnlldt"s final connfftioll with his wife is in stark con-
tras1 to the widowe<l psychiatri!l! in the film, Good \Viii Ih",/i"IJ. where
Robin Withams' d,aracter re"caI8 that his wife 's idiusyncrMi~'S "'adc hi ",
love hc r even "'ofl·,
The e ncluring II'S.""n to lie leanwd fmm All ,\00'" -x'urn;,J1 is the
tragecly of n,1! app fl"Ciating what we have until We I,,.;e It. Afte r his wife
diro, Schmidt llegan to mlSl! he. and to appreciate all that he had lOIlt.
TI,roUJ!hout his life . he had bN-n a taker and nOl a gin" But . the day af·
ter his wife died, he watched a tel{'1.;s.Nl appeal from a charity to ~iyc 522
a month tosuppo'" a roorchild f.o, ', a"othercountl)', Thc", he ......... ived a
re(I'K'St from the san\t' charity in the "' ail. Por . easonS he c"u ld "ot under·
stand, Schmidt felt compelled to L~ke on this small "bJigat.ion, He receiv...1
the ,wws that he had adopt ...1 a six year old ttl wit", ,, he ~()uld writ~ If he
chose to do so. The $ZZ-per-month ",latio""l,,!, that developed between
Schmidt and this child evemually brougl't him the great""t rewards of his
life, The trony is that had he invcste<lllls love and allentl"n In IllS "'ife and
daughter while he had the "pport,,"ity, he wouldn't ha"e tx-en lefl alone.
n,..-ding the lo"c of a six ·year·old child fron' a fordgn c""nlry,

RllI' l .t;(:TIO\'S-\'OLRS ,\\'1) Ol'lIll RS

&'C~"'le our percepti"" of ... ho we arc and what we possess shapes our
aeti""s. i( is especially helpful (" undNstand our pcrc~p(ions bef"", "'c
Can begin to cha" g~ thc"" O"e way (" u"dersW."d who w~ fCally are "e,"uS
Acrion!< rho Barlom Un.
'"
our self-perception is by seeing our ...,O...:tion in Ihe p."rceplions Ihat others
have ofus.
For example. some traders may se<' them5('lv,-"" as lacking success and
happiness llecause they have been experiencmg a difficult period in tbeir
trading. 1'his may be in contrast 10 Ihe percepllon of OIhers w!to obsc,ve
their wonderful homc Ih'es, lo'in~ families, and comforlable lives. This
would lead Ihen' 10 conclude thai th~"S<" san'e Iraders a..., highly successful,
happy_ and fortunate people. Whi~h pe",eplion l~ the more a~curate une"
If we take the picture uf our liv.". a",llook at it from an even greater di ...
lance of, say, the sub-Saharan African contincH!, we suddenly see our Ii,-.".
from a completely different perspPctlve. "'ow, we can S<'e the big picture
ami our Ih-es look complelely differt'nt.
Onc way to gain perspective on your IIfc is w take the following
exercise.

Step I . As!': yourself what you thin!': or your life: Are you happy"' Su~ _
e!'SSful? Does your life ha'-e meaning to you? What are your per-
sonal st",ngths and wea!,:ne,-es and what are the strengths and
wea!,:nCSlK"S of your situation in lif,,? What ar" your r<'SOure"," and
what do you lack? What do you want and need to make you hap-
pier, "'0"" sUl'<.;essful , "'o'e """<:u,,,'
Step 2. Now, how would your friends, family, and a".'lodates descril>e
you and your situation in life?
Step 3. Ilow do you "'am to be seen?
Step 4. lIow would you and your me be vie"""" from the wealthiest
European capitals? From the plains of Sudan? From the facton""
of Thailand? From Ihe I•..,mi"! &,et>~~ of Rio tie Janeiro"'

\\~\e"yuu are f""ling badly al)()ut y"urself, y"u have to I""k at reality
and not compar<' yo"rself to people wh" ha,'e eVt'l)'lhing-----'If wi",,,, y"u
perceive W have e,."rything. Of course, this exercISe views your life from
the outside and describe5 what you have and not what is inside.

l 'LRlllfi 0\' \ nnn:

T, aders li"e ,..ilh the "nd~rstan.Ii"g that lif~ tun", on a tlittle . Onc day you
are "n top of the ,.."rld. The,,_ faster than you ~a)) "ay "dot..,o",," you ~ru,
los{' It all . If yo" doui>t the truth of thl. "tat~llwn~ yuu sin'ply have to .....
fleet 0" the fortunes or nllsfonun.". of Manha Stewart and Ted Turner.
One day, Martha Stewart was the maven homemaker/empire bUilder. She
was tile w"ald,iest woman in the U"ited States. Th~ n.'xl d"y, she round
II:.!

herself <'mbroiled in an Ins,dN-trod"'ll scandal that resulted in the luss o f

I\~f furt"ne, e""' f,,1 "f I'~r c""'p~,,y, plus her freed"", wh~n she foc<",1 a
priw" "..nle"ce. Sl\~ has sinc~ ('(I,n~ back I" regllin mOSI "r her wealth .
Ted Tun,er, "ne of the weahhiest men In the conH"unications IndLLy
try and not",1 philanthropist, suddenly lost 00 percent. of his hillio,~~ and
became merely a pauper muhi-millionaire He is "OW back 10 his billion
dollar slatu.s as weU. These two stories o"ly deal with the loss or for-
tune and fam .. , Co"",dt'r the cxtmordmarily ('andsom .. and athlelic aclor
C hri.st"ph~f Rc~v~, Ihe star "r ,he S"pen"a" ,,,,,vies. One day, h~ was
astride a 1"-''''err,,1 h""", playing pul" with ,he rich a"d leis" .... d. M",ne"t~
later, he is was p.'U"alyz<><I, unable to speak, ""''''' a linger, and later flil'<l
after a long baule resulting from that accident.

Wh .. n your lif.. has tunled on a dime, Ih .. only way 10 climb oul of the
d .... p pil int" which yuu ha'-c fallen is to be able lu t.ake act.iun. The ac-
h"n tha, you lake "'u81 be posili"e a<..1 iun thaI is Iaken ill a ,i",ely way a"d
not ru;1ion Ihat comes to" late to reverse pemlanen! damage . Ilut, how do
you gel m(~l i lized In tim,,? If an individtml ha.~ loS{ ",ost of hi~ material .....
wurces, many traders co"eiude that they are helpless. This is not the case.
Many traders who have experienced devastating 1<l:SSe5 have rebounded
10 .. xc{'{'d Iheir pr .. ,-;ollS suec .. ,."..... lIow? Tiley drew from wilhin and
took action.
YOUf p...-sunal n""ou'-':;e8 afC I.he lools Ihat yuu ha"e (u rely UI"-''' in
order to pull yourself out uf the pit. of ml,fo""ne. These resources are
your perception of yo"rself and the relat.i"n.~hiJl'l that you have fonned as
a foundation for your me, In the case of Christopher Reeve, wlto lost vir-
tually c"erythin~, dnri,,~ his rehabilitation, he was able 10 draw upon his
.. nom\ous emotional slTl'ngths and his <"qually .. "ormous wealth of 10"",
rri,'nds]'ip and goodwill ,hal h~ had establish.",1 in his life. lJas.,d 0" thaI
[o""datio" or ""ppmt, h~ Was able to inlpm"" his situation . lie co"ld not
give ill I" despair bl'<;au~ he had to" "'''''y uthers pulling for him wh"n his
own spiritllaggl'<t Unfo"wlately, e,'en with all of this, h~, hudy failed him .
lIere is a brief exercise that will help you to assess your UWII ilmer
r('SOnrc..,.:

• 110'" do you S<'C )'ourself in all lile roles you playas a human being,
husband, fat hCf, and lroder"
• I r others w~fC 10 conunen! on your life and how you Ii"e ii, what would
(hey say<'
• Ilow do you see your childhood, teen years. and adult life?
 11 :1

Wh~n you mobilize 10 take action, you need 10 usc all of your asselS. In
addition to your rdationship.s, you haw~ oth~ r assets Uoat ",ake up your
I",rsonal ","SOun;.. s. Th~'Se a._'l.S include yon"
• Good health- good health ig o"e of your g.... Wesl <ISSeIS. Once you
ha".. lost it, th~ c.o"t uf "'placing it c.aJ\ lWjulre Ih~ expendilU'" of aU
or y"ur udwr (l.'<Set•.
• Statu!! in your family aJ\d cummunity-respecl and a s<>ns<> Ihat yuu
are an imponant and Influential mdhidual [!; the Njulvalcn1 of capital
m many situatiuns, Nq,<>cially thO&' thai i,,"olw negotiation .
• TaJ"nlS and abili{jes- Iht'Se gins alluw you to aeeomplish things Uta(
Indi"idual. without them can only dream of duing. They are aL<o ,..,..
soure"" thal you can IL,*, Iu rebuild your life.
• Education and training-Ihe effort you have put in10 developing your
mind is mon~y in lh~ bank ",'one of the time and hard "'ork that you
Ita"e put inIQ your ~dueation is wasted if you understand what you
ha"c learned and how 10 apply n.
• AUilude--ir you are living as if it Were SO, you a", able to mobilize all
or your odIe. a.'<Set.lo ru;hiew your goals "",I take d", righl aclio".
Wh"n you begin 10 li~t your a.'lSe~~, your Pt'reeplion or your siluation
call change il\.~lantly. S,uhl .."ly, you "ill [....1emp<!wered . Th .. sel\."" uf em·
powenne]\{ Ihat c.omes from ac.knowledging you, 1"SoUrces wlU propel you
from a stale of hopelessness and inenia to a state of action so sm()()thiy
and effortl"""ly Ihat )'UU will n01 be aware of the lr-dnsitlOn untIl aftcr II has
taken place .

What doe; I!hang;ng your perception have to do wilh ",aking ",oney? UI-
limately, it is your perception, the percepliun of yo", glass being half fuU
and n'" half empty that detemunes Ihe actiun yuu d<>cide to take. And ac-
tion I!I Ih~ bottom li,,~ : the decision to take the risk- to take the action- to
be 8ucce<;Sful. Ali;o", is ,.,hal brings about chang~, whal 1)UI1S yOIl oul of a
8hll l\p, whal corr....,ts the 1""",-",, alld whal "'ake", I.he "'ollcy.

71,e q ,wli/.!I of decii>ions /lwl yo" moke for !lOll!' t)"(Jdi))!J

lIud YOII rille UJll b(1;;ed on yOU)- pSllclwlogirul f(jtlud(1/fIFll.
If IIw fou ndMioll Iws c!"lld,s. so Ivill your decisions.
1: I I
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pll" ""dUll 1l')OII '1 aJII ;>\11)'1 ," all"",ullS SIl s.~J!O'P aun'S d'il S,",,,,U ale
no.": W'II .,,... ull'J n,," J' "I"!! -,;mJ I I'IS!-, ,>Ill UO .)JU "O~ 11.'1'11 '''J'I InJw;lJ
·ans pue "ddml "SU!'''I G! 04." "J!I mo" u, u"",.xl e JO )n'll a~!1 StI!P]O)U"
"J!] ' nnA ...... noli" J[ idun SU1~""4S JO 1''''''''''ld n Jalll!" '<>s!.."l.m~ )"MS n ""
awo" ~"W Jd."""" d'U '1Kl('I'Ui>S<J.l "ldSOP 150'U SJno..\: "1'1 <>sn4 ." JI<>s.mnli"
,~" ", "' "'l1i"!lcn,J"e" A"w sl~f"'\u J"nA "4N1 HM1:>S'P OJ "~C," alp JO ""0
'''m Ul IKlJ!04~ Jood ,,~,,\u 01 "nu"un:> 04." SJ......J JO ~"lU"-1U" uo
)1.'1"1'" ,II ~., U'I "u \II ""JIIIl )S"," JJ ,;) "1'1111.,10 ,II d" ."O,~ "'I." ""'1 "'• .1 -j II nM
.to ..M a", ~," \1'''111'1 Sl'II 0)1 0) )I"") a." aJII'~ 'jJ'I\'''1 "'l )l1"oIIS "'_" '"","I ~'II
)0 !moP""O~U" J\\O U! ~Itlliy )<>s a." "Iapow alII JO !mo!:>!;"oa ~P-'!)J am a,11
s'muon ,\ ' UI\':,i :.1.1\ ,1 0:.141\':\1
-"'"I!"J" "" J["""'!4 ~ n4·" dUO 1").J"aJ" O)Ul J "~"W un!s!""p Iu"pgun~
",Juo ",un) """ UO!"lJ.aP pC,!" WOIJ ""lln ..... )L~II SU!l>""nS puo;,..,,- Imll~dJ.>d
"'1.1 'lln"a.o "'!I "'l "",J &lP"" lm)U,,)od Jno,\" uo H88!1l ~4) !I"d", a.onl!Cd
" '~Il')' II" 2I1I! I'!)J) U ,II /lJJ """'I ~11I)\l')""~~]I C ., J'}~Il'II' \I O!.,.-""I' Il' "" J I"'" ,I<> ~ JO
~~c,'" J""" a\l,uu")l1I1I \lIl'J )\l"11 ""JII~!-,"(Ix~ .>SO'1l JO ~"o "")lIlJ) c J"<l
')IIJUJOW )"'ll)" "lInuollowa "'lqnJaul)\..> ~]J"lnJ!lJEd~! 0'1." auo
·Aun JOJ SJa~eal'l lEap InlIUJ)od lin",,,, .>Sal)l_.'m~!I ")!-'041nn JO ""p"al
" ~q WSP!)!-'~ "!1qnd d'll '''~''''W/lJ lSJg " JO dn>(n.... '1 d'll 'uo'l!)-Xlwn~
tIOU). ilI:>Id :m,n1 !II I
Traduf ""d DolelfloM ",
lIo ....~"~r, if you ar~ in~xperien~ed in making de;;isio'L._ you may f,,,,1
overwhelmed, frighlene<l, or simply unpre]lared to do so, Like learning how
to 8wim, dn '-e, wnle, or draw, Ih" re is only one solulion to learning how
to make good d<'Cision.." You need to lind yo""",lf a good teacher or coach
and Ih,·" pra~1ice. p'aclic,', praclic~, You will n~td lu be willing 10 make
mislakes and lea"' fmnl {he""

1)1'; C ; ISIO~-~"'''I'' C; U\'I'; RI ,O \U

I unl.., me, a retirt'tl air·l raflic Cun(mller whu wanled 10 trade, IIc deocribc<J
the in~redihle ~Ire"s h~ I~~d been WIder and Ihe thousand. of potentially
life "nd ,INti' ,Ie;;c.ions he made ,wer the ,-""'rs<' of a single day . Ile<:ause
he had worked far ]x,yond the amount of lime he was supposed to work in
his previous profession, his emire ne ...·ous system was destroye<l. Over-
",-hdmNl wi,h anxiety. hIS hands shook uncomrollably and he was no
longer able to work in any capaci,y Ill.'! ~fe was a li"ng "xa"' pl" of 'hc
crft"Cls of "'aking 100 many dt"Cisio"~ . Much lak. , I read an article abuul
the Jj'nIL~ of the huon"n ,nind to make de;;c~io,,_. in any set period of lime
and Ihe effe;;1 an over\"ad ~"n have on Ihe ne ...'ou.< syslem,
Trade", " 'ho attempt to work long hours, pushing themsel.,<'S past their
dl'Cision-making loleo-anee, run Ihe risk of overloading their ne ...·ous sys-
tems, L'kc our air-traffic controller, a tradN can]x, aware 'hat cach dee,-
si"n has lhe potcntial for greal 10&; or SUl.......ss. n,c "-",,ult Can thcn b,· an
inabilily to ,nak~ any d~cisio"S, 0" thc olher hand, traders who are car"f,,1
nol to ]lUsh themselvps 10 their limit. are abl~ 10 make tI,p bps! rlp<;c~io"s
l"-,,,allS<, they ~ome to Ihe pr..<:es.~ refreshed, full of energy. ,md wilh Ihe
abiJjly 10 focus.

( :U,'C:1.( Sill\'

Thpse are ""mp of th .. fa~tors that affp<;1 your ahilily 10 make &ood de-ci·
SiOllS, If you recognize yourself in any of them, you have work 10 do, If
you find Ihal you are nol able to do this "'ork alone. lind yourself a qual-
ifi~d cou"sclor or coach to help you O\'NCOme the underlying issue!I tim!
are pr~vcnting you from making Ihe I",'d or d<'Cl.'!iollS 'hat will hdp you to
real;,,· you' tl'canls.

III/um you make good c1wice~. tlw 1Z~111 Ulld impl"Ol.'cd. gou
will eli!f!1ye.
 11I\1·11 . "I~

The Big Reveal

ewral years ago I was walking down the street in Gen~va, Switzer-

S land, looking lfl thcjcwclry shops. My focus was on what I could not
afford. Th~re was a pan of mc thinking about th<m<" who could pur-
chase whatever th~y wanted . I decid~'d to chang" my focus by asking "'Y·
self, ·What would I buy, if I had (I", money to ]Jurcha'le an),thing I wanted"·
The shift wa.~ quit .. dramatic when I allowetllllyselfto afford. What I found
wa.~ Ihat r was just as dis<;riminating, but e,yoy...1 the proc''''~ more. I pur·
chased a bracelet Ihat J could and would purchase at any level of my net
wonh "nd d,d not r",,1 thai r was sctllin.o;,
What If you I\,,,,e up Ihe Idca that you did not prt'S<Omiy ha"" the rc--
suun;es to be the kind of tratier that you wanted w l>e" What action would
you SIMI to W.k e? Or, wltill is really behind your nol taking action?

YIIL Ht: ,UI.l' 1)0 \'OT ""'iT TO

no l 'lI F. \fOHK
;';"1 having money is a g,~Jd !"{>a.... '" for you not 10 stan taking any aeli"" "n
accumulating the knowl""ge and doing the npcessal)' pialUling to b<>come
an accompltshed trader Let"s face it; One oflhe only reasons that you want
W tratie is thai It looks Itke an CMY way to ~am a huge am"unt of moncy
willl very linle erfo!1- III least that IS what is bcn ..ath the s urfan of your
thinking. What you r..ally want is SUnK',"'e W gl"e you the trati.", 10 take
l>ecause Sludylng the fundamental and I~..;hnical side of tratilng is <julte
I.. ,ring and/or t.,,-[ious to you, and 10<,,;;(11'5 Y"" do not Hnder!l1and it;
120 T~K I NG RIGHT ~CTION

Yo" are the kind of person thai ..... ould be attraCIf~1 to a sofl .....are pm..
gram ..... here you do not ha,'p 10 know anything excepl 10 push a bUllol\
when cenajn color<'d lin<'5 cross. Just as an aside, Ihose ..... ho have lesled
out th('!\(' tYJl<"! of programs I'ave found that a coin toss worksjusl as wclL
You perhaps have Ihoughl, "If only somcune would lull' me and Imi" mc.
Aller all, is It not disc"minaliun fur institutions 10 unly cunsidN hi"ng
those who ha"e college degl\"eS fl\)'" Ivy Leagu~ schools for Iho.;c kind
uf positi(Jns?"
One sucI, trader was John who worked as a rouler for a lrueking com-
pany for 20 years. His ..... ife handl<>d the famdy aeeounung, which in her
case meam Ihal tbe family did nO! !law any ""'ings. Wh"" the company
John worke<l for startC<! downsirin~ the family went into a pamc. John
considered whal else t... could do to support his family. His thoughts were
di~u.d 10 cuusin Ray who ean,,,,-I a cumf"""ble living as an equily trader.
Ray gave .Iohn .mne books and magazines.
John heard about an Expo for trading that ";as going to be in Southern
California. He and his ..... ife trucked to the evenL John's ..... ife was more in-
trigued by aU Ihe fn-c promos Ihm were oci".o: gil'en out umil site slanC<!
list""ing W a prescm<'r who w"" speaking aboul software Ihm would make
lh~m n,illiun", wilh "el)' liUle 1'lTon. John, nul being able to und~rstand any
of Ihe speakers ...... as graldul I(J his ..... ife when she polnu"l oUilhis sirnpl~
way 10 make money in Ihe markeL• . They put d"wn their c.l"f'(lit carrl 10
purehase the software for $5,000.
Several months laler cousin Ray decided to expand his business and
askNl Job" if he ,",ould like 10 be corlSidcr<'d as a IrodlCr Ird;"cc. 1\1 firsl
John was as CCSIalIC as If he were already hired and earning mon,'y. Then
Ray said "lI,;ng in Ihe books I ga,'e you, SO We Can discuss (I'ern ." John
knew Il,m. even if he delayed Ihe m",,!.Ing he could nol understaJI<1 the
books enough tu e,'en .... k qUPSlions. II L. inleresting how he kne ..... Ihis
wilhout even upening up a book.
Fon unau.ly, John had not lost his job yet, llecause he would n!'Cd it
to payoff both tI,,, debt of Ihe software and Ihe additionall3,ooo Ihat he
had 10SI SO far using Utal software . The fact is Ihat Jut'n did nOl ha,·c Ihc
cu""dcnce and passi"n 10 "",ate the d,;~e "ece,*,,~1)' to l>eeUnlC a lrader,
even wh"n a go" d "PIl<lnunily wa. hand~d 10 hiln.

HIL IHI , 'OT W'\ \"T TO SIT I~ I' KO\'T

tW \ C ; U ~ lr t: n; K SC; KI'; I'; \, \U , n U'

Sitting at a d~'Sk and wmching a Cu'''puler scret>n fur you is like watching
wei paint dry. Being a part.l.ime observer or the mark~t. is fun. like playing
 I2I

a L'1)I"pu(cr ga,,'e . flu( yuu have Cume (u real i<" (h,,( r"((-hme tradi"g is "U(
necl'ssarilya full _time eighl hour day; il l~ making full_lime 'nuney. Even
though you might haw heard this before, yom work eth,c will nO! a((ow
you to think or act that way
Mark, a successful lawyer, was happy to hear me say on a \\'cbinar
Ihat hc could make fU((-lime money in a fcw hou", a day frum trading. lie
acwally twld uIT his ....!,; .... "'''nl i.>e<:ausc he was afraid Ihal I,,, wU!lld be
co",pul~ive at~JlJt sining In fwllt !If the SCre<'n. \\~len I gave Mark penni ...
siun un my Wehinar tu work twu hours a day, not long after he hande.-! In
his resignation. N"uw he IS enjoying tradmg and retirement as well. Mark
needed tu eh""'" the kind of trading and hours Ihat would work for him.
Actually, il w"" nol my ~i'1nll Mark pemHssion that lit a fir<" under him; il
was his willingness to Ilive him""lf that pemHssion.

\ '01.. UO \'OT ",,\ \iT Tllt~

Rt:S 1'0 \'s IIIII .IT\'

Being "'SpullSible wilh a job thai pays you a reliable salary is nol Ihe same
as bdng rt"Spunsibl<- and nUl knowinilif you will e~nl any profilll from 1111d·
in~. Wilh n"",1 people losing in Ille markel.'l, IIl~ no "'onder Ihat Ih("y come
lU (h" Cundu~iOI\ U>aI lrading is gaml>ling. Any responsible pc"",n wuuld
nut Wa<\(!u be a gambler wilh his hard-eanled mUlley.
Jac.k did alt Ihe righl Ihings u) bf'(!'Hne a lrader, bUI he c.ouJd nol get
his famity's b<>tiefs out of hl. head Ihal trading wa.. gambling. Ile alletlde.-!
unp of my semin"", where hp mel several professiunal lraders. This was
('nough to chang<- his \Wlief Jack look a le~vc. of abS<"nc(' from his job
and ne'w lookNl back. lie stanro looking at Ih(' larger picture beyond
rt"Cp;ving a wL..,kly I",yd"..,k . Jad Icam,"" thai pror",,~ional trading Cuuld
l>e a responSible ca .... eT ir yuu make Ihe right chokes and align YOI"sel r
wilh Ihe right kind of Ihinking.

\ '0 1.. I\M I; U 'R\II) III" "1-; 1'110 "MO".;

\\:II/ OR ,\I' N'\IO 1'0 F ,UI .

Making c hoices 10 become a lrad~r. lu seltle on a particular slrategy, 1<>

risk hard-earned mon("y is not comfortablp for many because thpy could be
wrong abuullhetr cbolre'l Being wrong and learning ho", to self",u"",,1 is
nol pari of Ituw many people oJlcrmc It is just too uncumfurtable . Some-
day. whicl< docs nol ("xist as a day of the week, heeon",,, ti,e .. mantra.
 I mel Allen six years ago at a trading confe",nce, Since then, he has
be<-n I'<'turning to my boolh as a loyal follower ",'er sine .. , He w,," a ·SOm ....
day' kind of ' wanna·be Imder" for a few ycars, Tllcn he was a "getting
cJl>SC to ki"" of (!'Utler,· then an "ahnost IhNe ki"" of Irader" for Ihe next
few years. I ,,' ill '''USI likely see Allen ag,~i" in a few months and wonder
whal he will s.ay Ih"n_
Allen ha.~ ~o,".umf'<1 a libra\)' of trading I,,,,,k.~, CDs, and courses over
Ihe years Ihal would rank wilh Ihe be51 of lrading libra';,.", Wilh Ihis kmd
of kno"-Icd.o!:c you would Ihink Ihat he would be a well-cslabh"hNl profes-
sional trader, The fact is Ihat he is even afraid of simulaled mlding, bc-
cau""" Allen's problem'" I.hal he docs nol wanl to be wrong. He is afraid
of worki"g with n\t' because It.. might be th" o"e person thaI dot'S n..... gel
rffiUIL~ fwm 'ny c,.aclting. So Allen will ",,,,,I. likely remain a "S.mleday"

Irader.

\ 'nL HF.t\I .I .\ ' no \ 'OT W\l:T TO OH \Kf:

AI' R \11) OF 1.I,:/\Vl\'f; \ 'OtN PKOI' f;SSIO\'

Y <>u lu",,·d yuur pruf"""iun, hUI il has c.hangf'<1 overthe years 10 so,\lething
you now do nol enjoy, Tradmg is an escape from whal you do not want,
but il is not whal you really wanL Y<>u wanl your profession 10 be Ihe way
it was,
Tllis is lruc for so many doclors as well as la"'Yers, c..gin.,..rs, &'nalOrs,
prl'SidenIS, and ac.,;oun((1nIS. The prom''''' of an exciling caret'r whe" ~'OU
,,'Ne in colll'ge did not lun, OUI to be whal ~'ou have e"pcrienc('<1 in Ihe
rear world_ Pemaps. il ~"uld Ita"" been good in the t"'ginning, but becall<e
of cltangmg lim,." iljusl is not the same Trading becomes Ihe new passion
for you, but you are arraid thai iI, 100, mtg.hl jusl turn out 10 be another
disappointment.
Anna wanl~xr to be a doctor from when she was a child, She was com·
Pt'lled by Ihe thought thai she co"ld he ll' IK'Or:1le in lj'eir darkesl ho"rs a"d
lltal~' the way .he wanted t" live hu life . Cuming frum a bl""",,,llar envi·
",,,,,,eut where her family li,''''-[ from paycheck 10 [l.~ycheck, Ihe prum~""
of Ihe affluent lifeslyle of a doctor was also pari <>f the dream ,
Anna WU'! not Ihe kind of person 10 e"joy Ihe hack office side of run-
nin.o: a business, She &'ItINl on wo,kin.o: with a partnership of family doc·
tors. Anna Wall 10 "P<'nd no mort' Umn 15 ",mulCS wilh each palient and
nol discu","" noore than 1"'0 issneo!_ Her Compuler wM hl'r conSlanl compan·
i"n, n....rung il 10 re,nember pallenL~ and document every worn thai Ihey
said_ Thi. wa.. "ut Ihe family d'><;I<" she pictured herself 10 be wal~hing
D" Qui"", lIfedicine IVOmQJl on lelevision U'! she grew up, And with
not ooly tha! sUn;ng h~r dr"ams, becallS<' Anna's s!Ud~n! lome. w~rp ''''pr
present, h~r lifestyl" was nO! wha! she had hopet:l for
A pati"m introduced Anna!O trading. AlUla felt that at I"asl in u'ad-
ing ther~ was the tlOpe !O accomplish onc of hcr dreams, In h~r spar(' !Jnl('
Anna work~'{l on be<..'<.>,ning a tradt'r but rea!i,~'{l thaI she could nol success-
fully do both .
It has been """era! years sin,!e Anna's struggle . I am I~~ppy to rei"'"
that she married a <1I"!I"r and wurks pari Ume in his "fillY. She manages
the family's finan('es as a trader and lives an enviablp lifestyle, It IS Impur-
!ant to nute that Anna dId what ""as necessary to become a lradpr even
though it was tim ap]'aIT'nt to h~r a! the tim(' how sh~ ('ould make It work
It ""nin,1s me of the "'ovie Fjdd oj Ihmms. when it w(lS s.~;d. "Iluild
it and tj'ey will comc" She "tallc trading happen and then opportunity
pr"""mM ilWIf.

1II': (:Olll"I; ,\ TH,\Ut:H \\II ,I, .,I·: \ ' \Sl' \l·":

\ 'Otll F"mU'

There art' many parenl< who sac.riO,y for their dlildren, hut '!!Jllletim,,",
this cumes with a price. They expect and enrouragp Ihelr children !O either
li"c the life that they wanted fur them5<'I""",, or Uve a life thai they want
th~m '0 live for otl'~r various r~asons, When their offSl,ring display th('
kind of indepcnd~IIce tllal the ]lar~IItII have had in , h~lr lives. all hdl can
break loooc.
&u"my was g;v~" ""e!)lU,ing he wanled. He was lhe gul(len child that
could do ''', wmng. Sammy's hrother l>e<:ame an athlet~ with no fonn of
income of Ius uWIt. Ills sisler married after graduating with an arI degree
willt a goal or having a me of leisure Sammy knew what was expecled of
him art~r college and dutifully ran Ius rath~r's businrss for fiv~ yea,," , I!e
married th~ kind or woman that hIS family expected him to marry and they
ha(] the two eXIJeCted ch ildren.
Sammy's friel"[ illlfl><luc",1 hi"' I" trading and il was lo"e at Omt sight.
lIe l>e<:ame <II"",-.d and thaI. ohses.<iolllume<lto canting 8"'MI mOl,ey, but
it was at the cost of the busin""" beg.lUling to fail, Sammy staned to sab-
oIage his effons in tradUlg whell his father had a heart attack. He blamed
himS<'lf and c'-eryonc blam~d 111m as well This is wh~n I e"tered the PIC-
lUre, I worked with Sammy Oil balancing his hre to include both the busl'
u""" and his trading. Samn,y"s brother aud sistl'r ente",d the business un
a part,lime ba.is and finally found that thry eanl .. from the ""me d"th a~
their father, enjoying working fulilime . Sammy was thell ahle to gi\'e more
 T~K I NG RIGHT ~CTION

ti"", 10 hi.~ trading and ""t r<>e] guilty_ \\~\ile this is a happy ending, mom "r
the&' situations are not.
Evaluate yourself by answering these questions-

o What IS belnnd the "eil? II is importanlthat you know why yo" wanl to
beco"\~ a trader and what is Moolaging each ,,~w 1~'-eI of suCCe&!_
o What would hal'l"'" if you had I he money an<l t inw to be a l<ad ... righl

now? Ily having an ",!tion plan of aJllhe Ihillg<i you n""<I, you will be
on your way_ If you wait to plan alld sludy, then ","'pn if yuu ha"p thP
",oney and lime yo" will nul be ready whpn Ihe timp comes.
o What ar~ Ihe excu",," thm you gi"c olh.,,,, and you"",lf for why you are
nullrad ing 0< "01 I<ading 1o yuur abililY" fly being hon ....1 wi(to you r-
sel f, yuu might lind out Ihal yuu .... aliy du nul wanl. to be a I<ad~<. Ch-,
you might find that the seJf.sabotage i..~u"" you fa~p ~al\ he ""ercome
with Ihe <ightlll'lp_

( :0 \"( :I ,t S 10 \:

Trading is not for ~"eryone You mu~t lo'-c all stag.... of the PfOC"",,, to
hav~ Ih~ passion, dri"e, conl!llil",,·"t, and di"dpli"e nec=ry to "uco•.: ...."L
Opportunity is availalJI~ for Ult>Se who are l"O",,,,il1ed 1o making Ihings
haptJPn.

!lules 0 I"I! fOl' /lw~e Iflw 11'0111 /Q 1"T),q'"I!~S_ f"OIlOll'i II!} /lwse
rule~ arefor IIwse 11'110 hUl"'e Idwl il Iukes to succeed.
 11I\"I.lt~n

The Rules or the

Game

YO""g trad~r nawed Da>'id l~ abuut lu lu~ his job and d""" n'" see

A Ihe "nd ~oming. Losing ltisj,>h will!.>e a great personal, pmfes.~ional,

and finan~ial bluw. DecauS(> of hi.~ loss, he ....ill pml,ahly loS(> his
apanm~n1 and his ~redil score will falL II will take him a lung limp W gel
back on his f.,..,t, I happen W be fripnill; wilh the tup management or the
company wheft' he ....·orks and I am privy to (,is m1!)('"dmg fate. but I am
unable tu warn him,
The tWu questiuns that h,,"e oc'Cn nagging al me fur days are:

I. Huw did Ihis happ... n'!

2. And whyishp un"wart'ufil?

Aclually. I knuw tlw answer \u buth or Ih""" <lu''Slions, Th~ a,,,,wer is

Ihat despite all of his hard work and good intentions, Da>id has fa,led W
play by I.he ntl"" uf I.he gam .. he is playing.

1'I1 ~ 1'1, U 'F. HS \ \"11 1'1I F. ( ; I,l, F.I ,F.SS

F.very human endea,""r ",,,,raIl'S on the basis or a set of wlwriuen rules.

In the modem wurld, we often resisl the nution that we musl adh~re to a
sel or rul"" thaI we d,d not establish. Each uf "" has the illus;u" ur !.>emg
In comrol or our lives, but IhOS<' who arc Mrt'Clwis<- arc well aware or Ihe
nature uf the gaJ1'es, ""hal is at stake, and what the rules are Tbesc san)'
m~" and wom~n are th~ plaY~1& Th .. r~SI of th~ paMidpanu; in the gam"" of
tif~ a .... the duek-ss on,-"" These a .... UI~ il\di,'iduat~ who fail 10 ulldersLalld
tlta! Uwy arc playing a ganle, what the n ll l'S a r ~ , alld U... l',,,"sequen,,",,, of
not playing by th'>Se rules.
:\0 game I know of is as cruel to t.h~ dudess as th~ s<;hool playground.
From personal observation, it appears that some of us are hardwired to
catch on early (Ihe playcrs) and od,ers arc hardwired to ncvcr catch on (the
cluel~ss) . Play~rs do not chaf~ agaiTl.'lt the rules, nwy lean. them. master
UI~"' , alld win mOI>l of the gall"'" thl'y play.
In HIe pr("Stigious CO III IJ.~ny whe .... 1>a"id works, t.he u"wri(len rule is
tl~~1 il docs not mallCr how much """'~y y<>u ...... ,,,aklng for th~ di~"L~.
What maU~rs is hllw well you ~ommunicate with the,,,. David L~ a very good
tratler who has COTl.'listelllly made a respectable relllrn fur his company's
;'westors. lInfonunatell', h~ is a pan,cuJariy poor communicator,
To mak~ matters wo""' , he does not see the point of oc'll)!: a good
co"'municalor. Despite all of the advie.. he has re...",i,,"" about rdun,ing
calls 10 the co,,'pany's clients W pro"ide them wil.h updat.." and fe""back,
David"""" il as a wa.'IIe of hL~ time-lime that i~ heller "pel\! doing his
" ,,,,,,,r<;h and making beuer trod,'S. One cuuld ea..ily assume d~~t the
bottom Ime is what thc ;m'''''lors care about mosl , but in dn" particular
game, on~ would oc wrong,
Allhongl, each game has ils own rules, the re ar<- !K>m(' Ilmeral nlit'S
that should always be k ept ill m'"d . Sadly , David has ~a,,"t~",1 IIeany all of
ttlest' gelleral nlk'S, to say nolhing of the sp~><:'fic Oil"". !l~re are 10 of the
rules:

I, Ev~1}'human end<-a"or is played out like a gal"~ and each has its own
rules that arc spt'Cillc 10 it-
~, I}" 1101 aSOnll ll" Ihat you kllow ",hal I he rules a re-...specially if yOIl are
applying logi<- or past experience to a n~w gallic, Lean, the rules of the
game yuu art' playing.
J . tfyou wanl to nil" ou( what the rules a .... , luuk r"rUle ",OSI succ.....sful
player and study hi,n. lie ",ill b., a m a.~ter player.
~, th"'dop rt'laliunShips wil h Ihe succt'SSfu l player'S. As k them for adv'ce
and seek their pnltl'Clion llntil yuu heen me a skillful player.
1. Step inlu the game slowly and o,dy af\cr mu~h p",p.~rolion and pmc·
lice Do not Icap into the game w.prcpared.
6. Bring e nough c.h ips 4' the game SO t!~~t you are noL forced tu leave the
table befo .... you ha,'e lcarned how 10 play,
7, Make a dcar list of the rules in your hcad and/or on paper so you know
"'ha1lh~y ar~ Then, ""' th~nl to m~mol}'
T~ Rul~. of!~ Co",~

H. Commit !o following ttoese rule_, as you unde,sran<! d'~m . A~knowl.

e-dge the cost of not foUowing them.
w. If you deeide that you do not like d,e game and do not want t" play toy
its rul .... , 1><' very dear that you must leave the game.
Ill . Never whine heeause you were fo",Hlto lea"e the game for falling to
play by its rules.

There is no shame in I<-a>;ng a game wllen you do not like or agf("e wilh
Ihe rules. Pind a game w\ref(" you can excel and l\re ",I"" arc w!I.'!istent
wilh yo"r val" ...... On u,~ oIher hand, no poin~~ are ~"~r awarde<.! ror bt-ing
duele>loS or ro. Slaying Ihat way. David is a nice young man who flaunled the
most "-lc.re<l rule of hl~ organization and he "ill soon lie paying the price.
My hope is that someday he will seek me out as his coach and I will beable
10 teach him how 10 play any game he chooses and emerge as a winner.
If Imding is a game thaI 1",.8 its own rules, and if washin~ oul of trading
is the price you pay for failing 10 play by IhOS<." ",I"", ("xaclly what arc those
rules"
I have listed below five of the m,lSt impo"ant general rules of trading
as a pr()fes.~ion. These rules are "ot the teelllllc.al rules Ihat c.an lie masie",,1
through ,eading. taking a few courses, and practice in paper trading. Nor
are they the trading rul .... that you will develop fu, entering and exiling
Irad"". Th""" arc the ",I"" of the game thm all ow you to enter Ihe j\:lme
and stay in it long enough to bti"Om" a successful professional. Here are
Ihe rules:

I. In trading. the winner tak ... all because trading is a zero-sum game
There are no second or th,rd place priz..s imndcd out in tmdinll. There
is !lothi,""; warn, a nd fuzzy aboul Ihe markets. for llCOplc who h"ve
pla~'~,<1 in arenas where an "lTu" is made 10 s"ppo" the I()/;Cr anti 10 I,,, ·
man;'''' I.he ganl~, Ihis is a di llicull and pain[,,1 con~..,pt 10 wrap onese lf
arounrl . There is muc.h at Slake in trading and l'lSing c all mean l'lSlng
everything and being force<l to leave th .. game. If this I"vel "f ri.~k L~ un·
acceptable, you are geuing a clear signal to find another game to play.
2. \'0" cannOI play It, win without th .. adml~~ion price. Thl~ n,le l~ an·
other of the painful realiti .... of trading. Attempting to trade without
sufficient capital is the eqUIvalent of fighting the U.S. military with
slingshots or taklll": on Ihe ~knsa club with Ihe patients from Ihe
Alzheimer's wing. Suffic,ent capital for entering trading falls on a mnlle.
wilh Ihe very i.>ollon' being app""imillely $Z5,()()) .~J\d no upper lim il.
This capilal cannot IX' "'o"~y thai is n""'-'~'{] 10 Ii,·., 0'1.
:1. A new traoler must h"ve anot.h~r source of inc.ome that ~a" be C.(JUllted
UllOn to supply lu" family's needs for al least three years. You ,,'ill hear
128 T~KING RIGHT ~CTION

Harlers argue that th,,,;o, figures are 1(>(> high, but they are the few who
have s urvivpd. The others are alJ"('ady out of the game, having lost all
th~i r eapital . If a trader is playing wilh too little capital, hewill have no
room 10 experience Ihe losses and remain in the game. In addilion. he
will be playing ""ared. whIch IS a little like dueling: wnh hoth arms tied
behind yuur back.
~. f>r<-pamtion is r<"quirro. 111<" trader who has read everything, taken
C"cry ~uuf"St", attende..1 every wurkshup, dun~ endless research,
dC"eloped his uwn trading ")'Sie ln, back - I~-sl~'d it thuroughly, and
l'aper·Harled f"r an e~tNI.~ive period of ti me is a p,..,par",1 trader.
Match this prep"""" trader againsl a eowhoy lrader who is shooting
from the hip " 'ithout any target practice and you can apply rule
numberune. The professiunal can stan counting: his money before the
fiT>lt "ulley is fired
~. Psychulugy is more imponant tban Sn'arts and/or furn,aI educatiun .
I ha"e wurlte.J witl\ inCI"L'{libly succ...so;ful trad."1"'l \.,hu did nul "'ake
it (I'rough high ",,10001 . What ilwy had guing fur iI'ern , in each case,
wa.~ the right psy~h"logy. And whal is that? They were trading wilh
confidetwf' and f,><:u." with a sen.'" uf calm. with a 10"1' or Ihe p ... ><:es..,
and " 'ilhuut the baggage of fear, greed, and unresol"ed psychological
issues thai lead w self·sahoiage.

Tt,is ad"anced state or psychulugical balancc is rurc. Sorn~ individuals

are btl'" "ith ii, hut mllSt aequiJ"(' thiS stall' Ihrough ~ommi tment, f'fr"'t,
the willingnes.~ t" ,I" the I~~rd work anrl confront their fears, and the will·
insn",," 10 make the in"f'stment in money and time to deal with their issues.
Here are six ways w deal with these issues,

t . De"dop discipline. Thi~ role is a subset uf ... ,Ie """,~ r fuur, b,Oi it
i. SO important that It <leser",," IL~ "wn ~au,g"'"y. Di<;eipline is what
motivates a trader to do the hard things thal mUSI be d,,,,,, rather
than taking the easy way OUI, which, in tradlllg, is usually the wrong
way, DISCIpline allows a trader to say no to destruclI\'e beha\ior and
y"" to th~ scary things III trading hke dealing ""itl, 10SIl and money
mana~emen L

l . Fi"d a nwntor ur a trader to """ as a model. Tbe fastest way W learn all
or the n,k-s of I.ruding and to bt-t;o,nc successru l is 10 model a sue•.-ess-
rul professional I rud~r. Mcntori"g and m",leli"g aIlO"'S yuu to bypass
all of the tni~takes that novi"" traders makf', It p"'''ides you "'ith Ihe
authoritative gUi,bnc.f' and sUPI'o" that hfee<! c.onfidenc.f', whi~h is key
w successful lrading.
 129

3. IVrile a businl'&i plan_ Traden; will\ bus."""" plans are "ntrep ...."eurs
and busi"""",,,e,,- Traders without businl''''' plall.~ are just one S'I'P
al~",1' grunbll'rs and ill "" ,ne c.3.<;ffl that one step can be "limlnal",L
A business plan speUs out all or the resource!!, trading methoool-
ogy andlor rules, operational pia, .... , budgets, mo,,~y management , and
rc<-xlback meehanis",s Ihat a lra<ler us.cs to nul his busin""". II weU-
wrilten busm""" plan signals to bod, the tmder and to his family and as-
sociaR'S Ihal he is serious about being a profl'SSionaL h is at&! tI'"
doe-
wnen! thal al1<>I'''s a trader to look ror investu", ,,-hen the timl' <:1,me!!
to dusu_
.1. Take eare and b<>ware or your rdalionshi!'s. The. l. a c.umplex nIll'
because it ad"iSl'S a trader to make cellain that his imponant relation-
shIps are in good health so they can support his proressionalHfe. Noth-
ing ca" illl.. rrupi a suee<'SSful tmdmg earN'r as qUIckly as a brok .. n
marriag.. _ And this rule is al80 a "'-aming to traM", to let go or toxic,
risky, and u"support;"e .... laUo"sh.ps Ihat can da",age 8",f..;:on'ld"""e
and health and lead t" risky beha"i"",_
1_ Take care of your "eulth_ Par 100 many lraders wash OUI of tI'e game
l>I'<;ause they fail to apply this rule tn their trading_ !lad .JieL., lack of
eXl'rcise and sleep, and {(~) much stress all lead to the dise3.<;ffl ami
c""diuons that can end a care<'r. I have c"ulIseled ntany Hoor traders
disabled by stress-related IUn""""" as well as traders wh" can "" I""ger
work producth-ely bccau"", "r a!c"h"lism, drug·taking, heart pmblem~,
and U1her disabhng diseases.
6 . Enjoy th .. process. There IS "" ",,;n! In bcc"ming a pmf..ssional tmder
if y"u hate what yo" do a"d if ead' day drags "n (" (I,,, nexl. Pind a way
I" "nj"y the Ilroce8S or Ihe process will find a way (" .",,1your ca"",r_

If yo" c.an masler these II rull'\l or the trading game, you are a rearly to
play [u win .

(;O\,U ,U,IO\,

Those wh" ",u k" and r"now thdr "wn ru\<'S and se[ rules r"r others wh"
supp"rt (h"", I" f"lIow, ,,'ill always .... ap Ihe ",'wards or tl,;,; effort. 1",,1·
I"wed ... ,Ies set a standard rur l><--co",ing di'>Ciplin"d which is a "ert'SSury
foulldalion fur su~~es.• .

WhOi 1JOt! am in fhe ':fight mooe,Hyou shut dowlI being i 'l

the 'zOlle mode."
 11I\1'11"~1

Getting Back at
the Markets

r rader,; have t"'o n"uor reaetiuns "'hen the markets take back all of
thcir earm,,!!,,: They gi>'c up or they flJ!ht back. ~either works .

S I'; 1.1··· .. I·;Sl·R L(:T 10"

Sam was a prufessionallr.lder for eight years. During that time, he success-
fully ama88Nl a rcspcet;Jble fortune, at least by his standards. He movNl
his family into a beautiful home along the lak""hort', ),e bought t,,·o ex·
p."ISi>'c C3"', he sent hiS two children (0 private SChoolS. and he (ook his
fa"'ily on exo(ic (if brid) vacations. If you ask.,d Sa", about his (rading. he
would wax puetic. uver his I",'e for the profes.qion and how h~ had learol'<l
It) weather the "i.;L'<situdes of marka re,·~rs.ll. So that he could make a
consistent profit over time lie had an impressive hbrary of books On trad-
ing and he attended countless trading conventions and trading.sd,ools. lIis
system was loll.'l m the de,octopmen! and "'ell tested by him . At this poilU
in hiS life, Sa", w(lS ",,"<:u"" and did no( ha>'e (0 trade (0 li\'e his lif~~slyle for
(he res! of his lif~ .
On the surfac. .. , Sam had don .. everything right and he was reaping fl, ..
rewards. DUI , when Sam was caught in a major downturn Ihat he was not

I ~JI
 T~K I NG RIGHT ~CTION

expecting withoU! having a physical SlOp. he wa~ unablf In mow quickly

enough and he panicke<l, The , ,,,,ullS were catastrophic for him. In the
space of one day, Sam lost a significant amount of hL'ltrading capital and a
significant amoum of his pride lit this pomt hc fact"" tI,e confl,ct: Doc!! h~
fold his hand or ame up?

l'i gliling IIlIl'!.

Mel had n~v~r walk~d away from a dd~at m his life \\'h.'n h~ entered the
(rading prufl'SSion. h~ h.,d t reat.-d a St'ries or grew SuCC~s'l<'S in his wake.
In ~ach of t.ht'S<: succ~~, Md was forc~d W push his way through tos.ses
and <ldeat. in omer w reach his ultimate soak When the chips were down,
Mel came back fighting, He was a fighter who saw challenges in evel)' diffi-
culty, and opponunitic'S in evel)' challenge.
So, when Mel saw IllS positions going against him and "'as unable to get
out or his trades in time. tht'reby sustaining a d.-ep loss. he "''''' in a flJ!ht·
ing back motHJ . He ,,'as not going to back down. Instead, tw in·,,"etlialdy
retumed (0 his (rading M.,.k and pul in another seri..,. of lratlt"8, ignoring
t.he fact that hi. system waq \il1ually scn,;uningat him W stop . fly th~ time
Mel was d",,~. he had trad",1 hi. way t" the I>on",,,.
Elu~ Mel was undeterred. H,,\;ng lost nearty all of his tradi"g capital,
he went to his rall,er-in·law and bo rrow ~d enough mon('y W get back into
(he Jlame, llfu-, all. he had n",'er retreated from adw",ity. had alway" come
OUI on (op, and had a long track reeom of su~cess w d~f~"d . HiS reputatiou
was at stak~. Having made a 101 of ,"ouey for I,is father· in·law in th~ PMI.
Mel ("u"d it ea.y to P<',,'Suade his wife's father to lend him the money.
So, M"I g(}l ba<:k into 'he market. Elut sudd .. nly, trading w ..~ different
for tum in undefinable "'ays, and before he knew what had hapll"nro, Mel
had ",an"lled (oil<'!<' his father·m·law'" ca pital as well Ne"enheless. Mel
was not a Quilter He was going to get in there and win But how?

Richard "'as neil her a Quilter nor a fighter, He was si mply angry, It wasn't
fair, i( ""asn't right, and Iw was,,'t going \0 le( those b/""kdy·/IIaI.ks g~'t
away with having taken his ham-eanll"" SU"ings in on~ fdl swoop' Riel' anl
wa~ going 1<) get back at the 'narkn~. lie had retribut;"" "n hi~ mind
when he ... ,' nt back 1<) tra<ling the next day. ilL. ang.'r prupelled him into
some seriously f()(jlish trades. but he d,d not eaf(', lie was going to sho'"
those b/""kely-b/I1"ks out there a thing or two! Wlueh is exactly what h~
did- mstead of losing ill an ordinary rMhioll. Richard mana~ed to Il<'!<'
~"'<'rything in a coloo;gal fashion Going oul In a blaze of glory ~uilro Richard
",uct, !.>elll"r 1 hun '''~rely Ilghl 'ng back. 1101 \.,hal did he ga;n'

Why would a lrad~ . complewly lose hope and gi,'e up? If he has lOi!lI aU
of his t.rading capilal, it would S<'em Uke a rl'as<mabk way 10 cope: Su",
ow. In "",mcUnng new and find a way 10 rl'bulld your life Thc problcm is
twofold.

I. When an individual walks a"'ay in defeal and does not find a way back
Into Ihe ~ame, he ",,18 UJl a pattern of walking away from loss, Each
lime he faces a 10811 afteC"'ard, h" will find himselfwalking away sooncr
and SOOner. Arter a s... ri..-s of thes<: ~ , perienc..", he will be ,n",·;tIing 10
lake on any challenges for fear of failure.
2. Walking away in defeal ''''MII'S sclktJ"H,len~e. A high [",'e[ or !;df.
confidence is cssennallo successful trading. II is also the foundalion
of SUffess in ,-i"ually ewry olhe, walk of hfe as weU.

S<un caved in and walk.,,1 away in ddeat because h~ had n~V"r had 10
deal wilh ,...rilms pain and los_~. lTe <lid ""I
hal'e Ihe experien~e "r comi ng
back from defeat, "'" he saw defeal as total and permanent. lie would much
ralhe, cui his losses and avoid any funher pain Ihan a{{empl to gCl back
into Ihe game and suffer so much pain and fcar c'-er again. But. Ihcre arc
tl\"", additional "''' ' ' 10''
for giving up, induding:

I. Lad 01 c""nde "c~, A trade, who lad".~ conHde,,~e is likely 10 give

up when the gOing gel.'ltough.
2 . Nellative se lf- Ullk. Most ""If-talk Ihal is negal;"e is really Ihe echo
of Ihe critical and negalh-c VOiCl"!! of significant othe", In a tradcrs
life: p<I"'"ts, teache.,.. clost' friends and relmi""", the I'oie"" that told
a lradN wh~" he was young fhat he could nol do iI, Ihat he would
eertainly rail, Ihat life was hard, and "'-' on,
J. l'e8ll imis m, Trad"", ..-ho unconsciously beli""c that they arc not
lucky, Ihal b.~1 Ihings art' lilt" ,"USI likely to happen, U,al on~ small
failurc actually ".. p"-",,,nl.'l tlot· lotalily of all l'xperic nce, and fhal good
thing.. are the exceplion are pessimist•. And pe..simist.. are """,1 likdy
10 give up.
Why would a trader fight back" He is likely tt, ha,'" leamed in the past
that fighting back is a successful strategy for overcoming ad,'ersity and
obstad"" in his way. He may ha,'e a running monologue in his mind thai
gocs sornNhin.o: like tins: "I'm not aquittcr. I newr give up until r rcach my
goal· So, what is th~ problem with fighting back aftcr a ""lior I"",,?

• Fighting back without a carefully laid out plan of attack has nc"cr. in
Ih~ history of warfare, guarante.... t a vicwry . ~'ar too many just causes
ha"e met with defeal be<::au.se they were fought wilh a !!elise of righ.
leousnes.. and not frolll having the right pbn . nriU~~m stmtegisl~ of
the past "'ho unMrstoo<l the nature of their opponent and the prind·
pi"" of warfare won their battl"" by having a good plan,
• The .... are some issues that n""d w be add .... sse<l after a major I""",
By not Ulkin.o: thc limc W lick on ~ 's "'ou,,,!... , to fip;ure out what "'em
wrong, and to regroup one's psychology, th~ acl of reaclivciy fighling
back is guaran!<'ed 10 create "'ore uf lhe same.
flghtillg ba<, k is a heallhy R'SPOIISC to ally attack. It indicates a
high level of ""if-esl""m, a feeling that you are worthy enough tt, de-
fend, and a ""nse or "ptiml.m In the fUlure. The only problem l. thai
this reflexi,'e strategy can backfire if il is put inw praNice in a volatile
markN '" winch all bt-Is are off.

Why would a tmder want In get hack at the markel., of al anything for
that matter? Traders who r""pond with anger when thmgs do not go their
way usually have a well of anger that is fiUed w the top and eruplS at the
smallest provocation. In my experience, traders who respond with anger
haw dct'p ..... ate<llssues that ha" e n"n'r bct'" addressed, ThcIr anger is not
a healthy ll"SfIonse; il is a habitllal re!lpons..' lhat CreateS health probl~lIlS.
This anger is driven by certain f.... lings and world ... iews thai f~..."{t on each
oth .. r. For example, a trader who i. habitually angry:

• F..... ls, at a M"{'p lev"!, IX'werl..ss and "il"tin\i,ed, lhal is, t... s"ff~". froll\
I'a.',sl\ily anrl pa..siv" aggreSSion.
• Believes that d,e world l~ oull.o get him and Ihat it is an unfair world.
• Ollen comes from a dysfunctional home or social environm~n! ,
in which the significant people ill it were unable w soh'e tllcir
 uwn proble",s, c",ate any success in Iheir lives, ur develop happy
... Iauunships,
• !las a nN:'d W cn'n Ihe score in life in urder 10 feel better about
hin,,,,,,IL

All~mpling It, g~1 ilru:k allh~ markets~. a slralegy perf"':lly design~d

10 creale ""If-sabotage and failure, Ely personifying the markets, a lrader
who wants W gel baek allhem is caughl in an emononal lrapand is unable
W sec 110m the markets a .... nol ]",rsonallzcd, They do not fN:'1 and Ihey do
not ca .... Theunly one who WIU get hun iSllle lrad"r Inmsclf, Trading oUl of
anger and a """d for payback can only clood a Inulcr'sjudgme nl and focus.
prev.,nling him from f()llowing iii. rules and his money managemenl : a SUrf>
prescription for fun her d~<;asler,

1\ nt:""ll R Sl'R \ '1'1': 10\'

So, wlta! i~ a trader to do whcn he has soffeR..] a terriblc 10M" He",

are some guldd i""" Ihal I have devel"lw,1 ()ver the yearn aftu c"aching
lraolem .

Slo]J Tr~ dill~

Stop trading, thm is, until you have been able w work yuur way Ihrough
the loss. One of !I'~ surest ways 10 heap disaster upon dis:Wer is lu push
your way back into the gam" whcn you a", suffering from a 8eriuu~ loss,
Cessation ur trading after a n''\J<>f luss ig not the saJn~ thing as giving up,
The ccs.'!a\i"n l<; ielllp'>""Y-a time f()r healing, regrouping, and planning,
I f""lucntly coach trade.,; w stup trading temporarily after all kinds uf un-
senllng experienc<'S such as an acclden!. the sudden death or a loved olle.
S t ... me"dous Will in thc n,arkets, a scpar-dtiun or dl.·oree
Take tinle to a"aly/,(~ ,,'hat hapllC"t:d . Did you go against your ml",," If
so, ",hal ,,'ere they. how did i{ happen, and whal h.wc you lean'L~I'! 110'"
can you prevent th~. from I~~pp"ning again? Wa. your system at fault? If s",
",ha! can Y<Ju d" It, update il" D" you need to redevelop it? lIa. th .. market
changed w a degree thaI your trading methodulugy cannot make money?
If so, what challll"" do you need w make in you r tradmj( to ... s]",,,d to
changes in the m"kets?
Rework yo"r busi".o&l pia", Take time to go owr your plan, update it,
a"d imp""'C it_Ttlis may invulve rewurking ~'our trading sySl<',n or methud ·
ol"gy :mrl your motley mru'ag"menL RI'",,,rkingyour business pb" will put
I :11, T~KING RIGHT ~CTION

new lif~ inlo yuur trading bu...ine"". It will als<, help yuu (0 rer<>cu..~ on what
made you gel into lrarling in the firsl place, how you can improve your
performance. and whal you can do losolve your eurrent problem• .

St't' k 0111 ~I Tnuh'r' s f :tI~IC" I'ur SIIIIIIMI

~md r.1I"I ~m rt'

If you can afford to pay for professional services, seeking oUl a trader's
coach for support and !(\lidanee will be the mO!ll helpful to you . /I good
traders coach can belp you to:

• Deal with the psychological and self-sabotaging is5ues that are created
by a painful I""",
• Fom1ulale a stT3t"GY to get you back to lradlllg at peak lIerfom\anee
• ~~"d the emotional support you n.,.,d once you return 10 Irddmg
• n~al wil h your fa ,"ily i""u~'S as you .-ebuild your bu"in~'SS
• (}foal wilh underlying p..y"hol'>gical i""~u"" that may have ","".ribul/..1
ttl your loss in the first place.

If you cannot affonl 10 hire a lradds coach, find a support syS(~'" to

help you pulllog~th"r your psychological l""ueII so ,hal you can get hack
I" trading al peak p<'rfonnance. Find uther traders like yuurself-hul "nly
tl\""" wl\o are optimistic and who h,... e either returned to trading after a
serious loss or who are plamung 'heir way back ttl their trading desk. Avoid
»CSI!imislic, depressed, and bllflU--out associa,,,,, w itt, whom to spend
yo u' time .

11111101 \ "tlu r II rlt llh HUrl \ 'nllr lJi sri llllut'S

While you are waning to get back to tradmg, you will build yuur confidence
if you also build up your en<orgy resc!"""". Exen:isc, good slN'l', a good diet,
felaxalion , and play can an ha>'<o an amazing dfC<:t on your trading focus
wlwn you "'Iun, '0 "'oric
Once yuu'~~ done I.his, yon can ",tun, ttl trading gradually. /)u nul
plunge in. C...,ate a plat' atlll 'tick 1/) it. Secundly, ke,,1' a log o(your plat'S
at,,1 yuur p n>gr,,""~ . Write in II daily. 1"i,~~lIy, hui ld small, measurable , atll]
achievable goals and ",wards into your daily seheduJ" and plans. Noth-
in~ builds a ,,,,,'"" of empowennenl, self-confidence, and control like th"
steady achievement of small , meMumble, and aduevablc goal"-
There is much you can do to respond appropriately and successfuUy
to great lOS/!, without r~sorting to self·""boIaginl! 8trdt~gk" andlor re-
{f~al l1w ranks of the seasoned professional troM", are filled with
baW~~ scarred individuals whu lIa"e faced loss a"d curne back to u'ade
a"othcr day.

Tnm!ifrw",o/fon is ins/on/oneous wilen (J 1WW belief

is imiwlled.
 III\I'II"~~

What a
Difference a
Day Makes

atrick w .... burned ouL 0....,. the p ....t year, he had made a seri<'S of

P bad choic"" in his trading, his h{'alth, and h,s JlCrwnal rdmionships.
The r""uits W(' f(' predictable: ""riOllS losses in his tradmg, a lack of
physical "italily with which 10 I(l(;kle I,is probl~I"s 1101 to men!.ion a f~S(er·
ing dep"-"lSion (Ita! Mpp~'{1 his nlOti.,ation, and a 10-year n' aniag~ heaM'{1
straighl rllr Cli\"l)r<:e.
A traCler's su~~ ....~ ClPIlf'nds largely upon the small choic"" he mak<'S
every day and upon the r<'SullS of his habits ""er lime When a trader
chang"" his allitudes, beUds, and decisions, a IrallSformation takes place.
R,..,ei'1n..,; a desj)('rmc call from Patrick. I sense<! thm h{' was r<:a<ly to do
whatever it look 10 n'ake chang~'S. I suggeslffi tl'al we star1 the process
right away.

, 'L R\'\HOIJ\' IJS I\, .\ SI\'fa ,," un'

So, yo" ace skeptical aI,"UI the d iffue,,,;e a single d.~y can "l.~ke in cll.~ng.
ing a bad situation. Well , Patrick ceMalnly w.... until T wid him some dra·
matic tuM,around swri<'S.
Owr th{' Y{,afl<, r have hclj)('d countless 'ra<le", to dramatically ,mp""'{,
the;r trading by hclpiJ\ll them to transform hmiting beliefs. M'lf'S1Ibotaging
bchavio", and pSychological Os.~ues , poor trading habits, and 8<:lf·disciplin"
probl"",s. Alier a p... rwnal lransfonnalioll du ri ng a private coaching s..'S-
sinn or a seminar, a fair nnml ... r of trade ... have "'IHII1",l that their 11m!
... T~K I NG RIGHT ~CTION

day bad: trading I'rudu<:ed a profound Ulmar,,""'I, with a IWW lev,,1 or

c onfid"nc ~ , self-discipline, and ability to make exceptionally su,,('<'SSfu]

choices.
I>' ,""crthd<'SS, here 11\ """ of my favorite stories of a tunwround for a
trader. ~lIkc was lhin.o; In a studio apartlll{'nI whcf'(' he barely scmpcd oUl
a liviug. The o"~ U,jng "" did lIn'-c going for hi", Was (toa( he had a passi""
for trading and ""udi~'{1 ",'cry book on trading lhal h~ ,'<.>,,1(1 gel his haJ\d~
"n, lie had a system that I'"xluced eX"",,rnely g'>lxl resu lt. in Bimuialion,
The problem was he did not have any mOlley 10 trade. lie earned a good
hourly sum in his part-time Job but it was nul enough 10 give him ""hal hp
nCfiJed 10 trudc.
\\'hen Mike completed my Trader's E\-aluation, I s UAAcsINl Ihat h" at·
lend the Top Pcrfom'a"~'" Se mi n"r knowing lhal he did not "aH' lIw ""mt·y
'0 pay Ihe ref', l1e d"",id ... l tn burww the ",oney fru", his family in order
tu take the """,inar. There were ""vera! people in the "",ninar who re<;<>g'
nize;!lu" skiU and d"",ide<l that they would like to help him. They paid for
his private consultation with me as well as gi,';ng him the seed money for
trdding capilal and aske;! no'hong in f{"tum. flowc\-cr, Mik~ fd! obligate;!
and dl'dde;! to help the participants on the g.roup w ith their trddillJ! Th~y
fonne<.! a group a"d as a resul t of his good trading syStc'" a"d Ihe I>sychol.
ugy that they leamro In the """,inar, they allll<'nefite<i by taking their own
trading tu a new level of I'rofiL

TI"'~ UOST rC)\U~ RI' LI , O"ll·IH\'

l ' t R "\I. \ROI. "\II) s 'I't :r

Th~ act or "'aking a d""'ision is, in ,,' y ""pcri""ct', U'e single "'01<1 power·
ful tum·around step that a trader ~an make. I am not referring ttl In~uJ\S'"
quemial d"",isiOl'-" but the ,"'es t!~~t c.an redire<:t yuur life, t"",-,fum, you r
perfonnance. and sigmficantly raise the level of your happiness and seMI'
of pers.onaJ fulfillmenL
Making a d~cisio" sounds ~asy, · j\·c dff,dcd to climb ML E'·cr~st!·
Dec)anng it aloud can be dramalic, but , if you arc nO! com milt<'<l to thc
d..cisiorl, il is "'" actually a de.::isio" , II is ",~",Iy a flighl of farl~"y. A real
dcci"iun requil"f'S w m,,,itme'" 0.",1 o"",nll",ent means taking a<:liun in the
su.ady realization of the d"",ision. So, j llst i>ecallse y<>u buy a buuk abuUl
mownain climbing. you may still not have made the decision,
A decision comes with a de", vision of il being: brought iIlto reality,
TImt dear ",s,on, in tum, cau",," you to fN."1 a passion for making ,t hapr><'II .
That passio n, in tunt, gi\''-'" ~'o" thc ]Jsyd'o!ogical and physical ~r,,·rgy 10 do
,,·hat.,,·cr it is you ".,.,.! 10 do 10 ]Jul your d~cision inlo aliior'- TI'e slories
 '"
lhal I told Patrick all d~ri"t'(l Ih~ir SOL'CeS" fro", til" d,-cision" (hal w~re
'nade wllh convictio,,_

\\In' "OT
I)
",to
F.e:. S I.. \":
..:1\ "LH\' \HOL\'U

If the mere act of making a dl'<;ision to !Un> "...,und a situmiol\ c"n start
the ball roUing;" the right di .... ctlon (hat "eIY same day, there should be a
veritable siampede 10 be the firs, in lin" to make that hfe-altering d""ision.
But, as rar as I can M'<', there IS no siampede, T!,~ problem is tha! the "cry
people mOBlin ""cd of makmil a decision arc Ihe "cry onN< least likely to
do so. Why? 1r you "lid yourself ""abl,, or ""willing 10 ,"ak~ a .k'<.'ision t;>
c .... ", .. a n....-de.J or waul"d change in your life, I)(>rhaps Y"o will set" yoursel f
in one or more of t1lP [,,[lowing "'!su",,_

When things lo"k esp~ially bad, many traders are So uvpnvheh"",( with
a seilSI' of hopeless"""" that the .'ery act of making a decision 10 tum the
silUauon around is beyond their capacity lOac(, They lack the willlwcause
they no longer bdieve thai lh ..y have the power to mllucne.... the outcome.
Call it a failur.... of imagination. if you w Hi But. it also comes from a lack
of pel'Sll<X,t i"e . When "·c are so d""", to a Situation, "'e lend to) bc only
aWi..... of Ihe probl,'ms, lllc failuQ"S, Ihe u[>SWelt'S, the pain, tl'e lOllS, and
the inc,itable eata.~(ruphic end. If "'c can pull hack allrl gain persl*<!!ive,
we may be able to see that thc situation still has pscaP<' rout"", SOIUlioM.
or even opportulliti"" emllf'dded III it.
There is an old saying' \\'h .. n you gCI nervous, you gN stupid! When
peopl .. are filled with unxkty and fear, they a,.. no longer able to access
lllci' .... ",ati,'c inlclligcnce. In the midst of a ~ala.~tropllc, the "'.",1 inlelli·
gcnt ~>ple can find t.henL.,.,I"es being led, lik .. sm.~11 chilrlre", hyanyone
who ha.~ I,...,n able to nse aho,"" the fear and learl Ihe", (osafety .
Then, there is "nothcr elemcn! in the "ifs hope1"",," response that is
""",,"'ially an excuse. a way to let you ofT the hook for taking action or
responsibility Arter all, If a situatIon is hopeless, tt,c" ltoert' IS nothing you
have 10 do, And, you w ill not ha'·" any resjlonsiblll1y m turning It around
sin~e Ihere is no l,.,,;.sible way to) do so .
There l~ an even more dL<turbing u",l"dying reasun fur using the "it"s
hopeless" respon..,.,. T'radel"S who uncons';iOl>Sly sai.><>(age themsel""" ar..
not really looking for a turnaround solution. FeeUngs of gUIl1 and unwor-
Ihi"""" are powerful motivawrs to create a situauon that is hopeless and
for whIch thlere is no solutIon,
I"~

... (";111'1 plflurI' il!"

A d..cisioll thaI ~x>rnl'" with suftid,,", co",,,,i''''e''t and passion to (Jrodllte
a lumaruund mLisl start with a pictun> or Ihe final n>sult. If you cannol c ....
ale the memal piClure, you ,,'iII pmhably ,,,II II<' able I" make Ihe decL~ion .
Sometimes, Ihe inab,lity to c",ale Ihal mental 'mage results from a trader
not knowing whal he aetually wants, There may be underlying conflicts of
which he '" unaware, PertmPl' pan of him really wall'" to lea>'e th., prof,.,..
sion oftrndmg but is unable to admit II to Inms.elf. Or pan of him want.s to
succ,'e(! bul part of hi", is "\o", ~x>,,\for\abtc with the ;'''ag..s of toss. Or he
may \lol be able to picture a goorl final outconle becau."" he lacks faith In
hinL""If.

la my e xpe ri~nc~, this response means lhal the trader feels lhreatened by
tbe ,dea. This is a way of deflecting at!<'mion from what is reall y gOing on
in the situatioll, Consirler Ihis, How much I;me dOl'S it reany take to make
a d~..:isio,," A ",att" , of seconds.

Few of US ha>'e difticuhy wilh lIw "otio" lhal life h.nos on a dill"'. We have
all seen how quickly an act of nature can wip" away immen,'IC human slruc·
tures buill over a lung period of time, 0' how qulc.kly a furtune or repula.
lion can disappear, Why IS it so d,fficult to accepllhe facl thaI Ihings can
tum around Ihal quickly in a single day? One of Ihe first things! learned
in my training on neuro-Iinguisuc programming (I'LP) was that lransfornla'
lio"" could be n<'arly instantancous, \\'],en an old and dc<'piy dt'Slrucli>'e
,"<'''tal assoclatio" is .... pl3Ced with a llUSitiv,. o"e, a trad,.r is as ;,osta"lly
fre<><1 from the chai,~. of hi. old ",,If.de.trucUve paIli'm as if he harlll<'en
suddenly par"led from a life ""mence. Fo, example, when a lrader ha.~ an
uneonsc,ous association of pain and lOS/! ,,';th change uf any kind , he is un-
able to sueceed in his profession out of fear of experiencing Ih""e feel lOgs,
But, if he call r<,place Ihat negative """""iatio" wilh one ofadventuTt', hO]l{'-
fullless, and e>'en joy, lhat same lrad,., will suddenly be up .. " to all man-
ner of change, The $)'''e prin~i]lle apl'h,." 10 "pipha"i~ll\""" s ud<len
realizatio". that alter o"e's ha,<ie understanding of one', life . lha"e seen
traders come tn sudden realizalions that profounrlly and ins(''''lane<lHsly
lransfonned their lives,
( :0 \'( :1,LS 1U "

WIUll di fr~r~nc ~ can a day ,nake' U"dN the righl circumSW.nc ...... il can
Hansfonn a losing siluation inlO a winning one. Giving up is the "plion
e xerCL'<ed by Ihe deprffi.wd. Ihe self.sallOtager, the ~oJ\ni~t"'l, and the
fright"n"d. The ahemati"e to gi\ing up is making a m ... ahering d""",ion
or undergoing a transfunnauon or epiphany. \\'I<at is holding you back?
The ans"",', is hidden msid" you. bUI you may nC<"d lIdp to find it.
 p\llrl\

Stretching and
Expanding Yourself
as a Trader
 11I\1'11"~ _ 1

Learning
Something
Every Day

ne of the hallmarks of a great trader is his commitment to on-goUlg

O Icarning and the continuous CXp311.'l10n of his undcl>ltamling of the

world around him . This commitment , ,,-h,," put imo practice, he-
co"''''' a daily disciplin" HUll k..... ps a trader's "'ind keen and alol~ 10 !IIain·
win the focus ~_nliallo "ue<.."""f,,1 lrodi"g
The h"",an brain l'O, te<:!mi cally , not a musde, hut It operat"" like a
"",ade in tWII I"'J>OI1ant ways: !"irs!, it 1I<"erl.~ o~ygell and nuuienl~, ""l""
dally a eOlllinuous supply of blood sugar, to functioll, and second , it must
be eXI'rciscd contllluously to a'-oid atrophy. The best way 10 k<'t'p your
bram fmm going flabby is to continue I" learn. But , before y"" pul this
principl~ inl0 adion, y"" n ..... d to ask yourself Iwo <lu""liol\S: Whal should
I learn and how sho"ldll~an\ iI' T he a'\Sw ....s 10 I/o""" Iw" 'Iues,;"ns ea"
haw pn,found ~ onseq,je",:es for your future .

,\\' CH' F. \ ' ~II~IJ \'s . \~ F.~ ""I' " O\-F.

Recemly, I read a column fmm an expel1 in human development about the

impol1ance of learning c'-eIY day. Hc wem on to discuss the n<'Cd for
the indi.-idual to search oul the lruth for himsclf. Althoullh lhis advice, on
thp surface, """nds logi cal and sound , il rc"\inded me of the blind "'an
whose "~Jlerience of an elephanl was feeling it>; Inmk_ HOs l"1J"clusion was
that. an elepl~'\fIt was long, thin, and round and eJ(a~tly like a snake. Ir
you ar" not a trained im·est.igator "f !h~ truth , you ~an easily finol y"",s.M

'"
". HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I NC ~ OlJR'iElf AS ~ TRADER

learning anything but the " -1",1,, truth and Ihen ~""'ing to the wrung ~"n·
dusion. For a trade •. thai mistake could I>e ruinous.
lI "re are some gUIdelines 1 would like to orreryou in your <l0"s( for an
on·,o;oing S<'arch for learning and the truth . Plcas<.' 13 k.. them with the same
mcasure of skepticism that I am suggcSling you apply to all of your dmly
lean'ing ""pericnces.

1\111, 1~' II II" HUII)" lIus,' "I' S~nlUl'Is lll I" "" ' r~ I II In/;
YtI" .. ,'lUll

The", are reI" lhU1gs as patheuc as an individual spouling misinformation

he rcc{"nUy rcad with trusting nai~Ni' . Just rcnwmbcr that so many of the
laws "fnature Ihal everyone knew 10 be true in the past hav" bffn pro'-en
"''''''g.
•Iu sl "f::lII sl' "'ill Ih'MIII. nn,,"1 \I :l~" II ~"
These days, \irtuaUy anyone can get It;" opinions and IUs take un the truth
into pnnt. This dramatic cxpanston of the acc""," to the prinlc<l nl<'dia
has bffom~ a doublN-'<Igc<l sword. Wuhout an c<litorial ser<"<"ning m<"Ch·
anis",' 10 check facts, W\l!\:~"S. and a ""ritcr'~ own credentialS. Ihe n"""
ill ·infon Hl'd ir"lividuals can ha>'e an audienl.... Pur'\hem'o ..... many newspa·
pers an<l ",/'dia .oure"" thai once exercised their edilnrial respoI~.ihilitie.
have I>e<;ome h''''tage to the I>oJjlicai aari intejj"'!lUal bulli"" wh" sit atop
their organizatioll.'l. For that .... ason. the besl "'ay to avoid Ihe pitfalls ofhe·
lie',,,.'! what you read is to read widely. geUing your mformallon from many
disparate sources->'cry mud, like spreadmg the risk by diversification,

Kllu\\, rOllr ~"urfl'

Understanding the story ""hind the SUlry l< inlp"r'\an~ For example. if you
are reading some selenee journals thaI like 10 print arlicl"" that are the
m"",t ·out in front," you need It> I>e aware that some of them are wrinen
for th(' nonscIentific comn, unity and do 1001 apply the ""me stringent stan·
dards of pN'r re>iew 1.1"" other selentific jounmls do. The r"",,ult is that.
in rt.'Cenl (in'eII, tl'ey haw .... tmcted a higl'er proportion of Ihl"SC slOri .....
!'\rr'\hennore, wl ... n you read a slory in the Nc~,' I'm".\' Times or Ihe lI'"sh-
;"9/0)1 1'0.'1 from rul · ul\"an,,~l ""urce· dose tl> the story, it is imp"rtant to
remember that carerully developed infom,ation is plrulled with reporters
by highly placed congressional aides and cOn.'luitanlll who have a political
agenda 10 support, re~ardl""" of which side of the f('nee th('y are s!I\inll.
TI, ... dO<'!l not mcan that the information is fa lse , but u is usually jru;t a
pit'C~ of tlw Slory or is rclell8<.'ll ror polil ital PU'1''-'''<-"S.
 '''''Jp! p.:I.,!J .. uo"."l d GI4 \J{)([dn~ IOU ",)OP
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1:>11

For exa,,'pl~, just l>ecaur;e yo" visit a f"r~ig" c"""try alld lean\ lhat i~~ or·
dinary citize'L< are ba.<ically g(~~l peopl~ who ""ly want 10 he in peace
does nol mean tha! il~ govemmenl f,,.,L~ ki"'Uy loward you and your cuun·
uy. Extrapulaung rrum one experience can ofWn mpan thai yuu are us-
ing Ihp exccption W make !he rule. You may only l>e seeing a part ur Ihp
pictun', or you may nO{ haw th" historical background and cul\lcxl imu
whicb 10 pruPNly place yuur ~xP<'ricnc~. Or you may be co"ung imo a s,t·
"atiu" wilh a pr~..::u"cei,'ed ,'iewpu i"t (Ih,,( yo" are no! ~o"S<.'iously aware
o/) Ihat ~olors every piece of infonnation you On<l, such a.~:

• Th~ markets are b"lIish or l>earisll

• All !><"Ople are guooJ o. [><ul
• Everything thall~ differem frum my culture l~ bad or go<>fI
• All hist"rillll< are trulhful or liam
• L.ifp is full of tragpdy and hopplessness ur j)O:'<"!ibiUly and hope

Regardless of what yml l",liew, your brain "ill filt~r Ihe infonnation
you take in tu support your l>ehef and filter oul or explain away the in·
rom,at;on that contradicts your beliefs Sinep traders need tu ha'·e lhpir
infom'"tion in the u,,'-amishffi form, il is vilal that th"y l""k ocy""d thcir
o,,'n exp·eri~"ce and """.>tions \() I~an, whal is really going on in u,~ world.
Who knew ll1a( I~an,ing cuu ld l>eco'''e SO com plicated in its implica·
ti"'~~? A~lually, ev~ry m'li"r go,""n""ent on eanh k'''' .....s !hl~ fru:1 and mosl
of !hen, work hanl ." conlrul Ihe inrormation Iha! L~ aVailable and laught in
their seh""l •. After World War 11, Russia carefully rewrute hl5tory books in
its seh""ls and Jallan expurgated its hl5wry books or any eulpability And
;n authoritarian countries and """,eI;"", studcnlS arc taught, in addllio",
nol 10 q"eslio" au(horili~'S or to Ihink or research the ract~ ror U,,'''\s<"I,'~'S.
50, what does all or Ihis ha.... (0 do ..... ilh trading and making money?
Along with ba.~ic science, trading l~ "ne uf the purest prufessiolL~ ..... hen II
~,u"es hl ",,,,r<;hing for the truth. Yes, traders are s ..... ept a ..... ay hy emotion
and caught Ull ill herd dunking just like everyone ~l"". ilut !hey do so a!
Iheir pcril. The market is ellher going "p o. down (or stat,c). but w,shing II
to be differcm dO<'S not ct'ang~ the racts. A trader w\", can Icam {() learn
", ithout the baggage or his or anyone elst-'s political , persu"a1, or social
ag~"das is goi"g 10 come Out on I'-'P.

\\"11 \T TO U : ·\R\, ?

Whal 10 lean' is, or courst', ju.st as imllOrta"t a~ 1'0'" tu leam.

 I :i I

I. Tradi ng lso;u~s: A tmrler shuuld de"u,e a ~ertain prop",';u" o( his

learning to issues related dir..crly w trading. Por that reason, he should
be reading every book on the subj",,( that he can find, The more widely
h<" r<,,"d!!, the I<"ss hkdy h<" will be w fall "k,im to tt,<" inilu<"nc<" of any
one "oice or '1<"wpoint , until he finds a ,'oice he feels confid{'nce in
Irus(.ing (;, be as unbia.'Ied as possible. In add ition, he would do well
(0 read about the 'ecl,nical asl}ec~~ of trading, H'e market boll' I.,.
cally and gll>hally, anrl trading p.~y{'h"l()gy. lie shuuld he attend ing a.~
many seminars, workshops, and trading conventions and symposiums
as he {'an.
2 . Economics, politi col .... i<" nee , his tory: But, then, he sh"uld be
widening his grasp of the world of trading by (I" owing his nel Oul fur·
(her and f"nher into lI'e .... alms of general l>(;"no ,,'iCS, political scie"c",
and histury, The upera(.i()n uf markel~ is l>est IIn<l""'toorlln the ligh, uf
hi~t(Jrical pe",p""li"e.

J, 8"sine~ ~ i ss"e~: In addit';"n, a trading CaR>(;r is a busin ..ss and a

trarler l~ an entrepreneur. Por that ....ason. a trader wh" wa"l~ lu be in
b,miness f<>r a lung Iin'e wuuld du well It, lean, m"re ahuut uperating a
business. NO! only are there ex{'ellent books available about business
manag~m~nt, mosl communities haw a local business college or com-

munity col lege Ihat off~", COil""'" on ",nning a b"sin~ss, accountlnil

princlpl ..... , tax~s , ami personn'" manAA~m~nt.
~ , H~al Lh is~"e8: Then, too, a trader might weli put 801I\e tirne into team ·
Ing about hl'alth issues. A.~ .oon as a trarler r~aches hl~ f"'ties, his
ability to p""p~r willl~we In"re aurl '''ure to do each y~ar with h"w
heallhy h" m and ho'" much """rgy he has to deal with the demands
of trading, If he pays for hI!; own insurance, he wiU want to maintain
Ius health jusl 10 ensure tha( h~ can hold onto his insurance , Onluw
informatIon """,ic ..... aoounrl that provide coru;um~'" with the bt .....(
researcl' int" health issues.
l. Spirilua I i~su .. s: A lrad~r's w~lIb"';nll is affcctNt by more than jW;( his
phySical and psychological health. His spiritual health I!; (ll'I issue (lUll
he might wanl to lean, ,"ore about. Rxploring his o,,"n spiritual and
religious h~ritage l~ a pla~e 1<) start, hm he might want to extend his
exploration to otl'l'r "Piritual practices.
6. s"len,.., and technol"ilr: The hiswry and current developments III
sc;~nc{' and ll'ChnolollY are a ""urc~ of great excit<"nwm. For exampl ~,
the clll~rging scl~nc ..... of bio;nrorn,at;cs (the application of ,-",t com·
pu"ng puwer to soh'ing biological problems such as pandemics) and
bioph"tonies ((he appllcalion of ligl\\ ted'nology (0 biology) are the
future o( ooth lif" and t""hnol"g)' for u.~, with extraordinary opponu.
nilie. for i,we'lII",nt.
1:>2 HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~ OlIR'iElf AS ~ TAADER

~. Art, fi ction, p~rr"rln"n c~ : Leanlillg ~houldllol elld al that which you

c.an ..... luce I" logic and realily. Imagination extends Ihe c reative prol..
lem .olvlng part of the hllman hrain. There (. muc.h I" lean, al~,uT Ihe
human experience from leaming how 10 sing and dance, how 10 pla~
an inslrument, how 10 acl, how 10 wrile a piece of fielion, or how 10
paint a landscall<',

( :0 \"( : I ,L S 10 \:

The po"'l is that a trader's world n ........ 10 continue 10 expand if he is to

maintain his skill as a succftlSfullrdder, Dc,-eloping th~ disciplinc of learn-
in~ sometlung ,",cry day w,lI help h,m 10 kecp his mind kecn in ordcrlO be
a beHer alld belle' trad,'r. 11,11, a savvy trade, IIlUst also take ",spo"sibility
for the proc.....s of I~"n\illg. Jt>SI. like w~ 110"" kllOw Ihal we I~we to ",,,,I
the I"hf'l~ bef"re we !Os.~ something illtu our shopping carts and Ihen pop
it ill'o our hudi"", WI' ha,'.. tft ...ad Ihe labels h..ro,.., we ,,'my.nm~ a ccepl
everything that com"" our way in the guise of trut" and good infurnlalion,
Trade", Ih'c and work III a hWTly complex world, i" wlach only the m""t
"igilant , discipli"c<l, and Intelligemly skeptical will prOS(l<'r,

WIW'1 !JfJ1l berome 100 ro",/oltoule, }jOlT will uot ymw.

 11I\ . . . . lt:/.-I

Stretching Your
Trading
Discipline

iseiplin" is u," mUSI in'porta"l paft uf bei"g a successful (rader'

D Any"ne wh" has ever trad ..... know~ and understands Ihe impor-
t.~n~ .. of Ihi. Slalemem, Perhaps, s.,me would argue thaL <lL'<Cipline is
Ihe m<lSl imponant factor after a winning sirategy for enwring and exiling
Irades has be~n round. lIowever, r ""ould POint out that even the proeess
of dc.'eluPlnil a lradmg syslem rcqw,cs diSCipline
Thuse ufyo.. wh., are already successful ill Ihe markets might nol walll
10 change anyth ing Iha( yuu are doing be<.:ause yuo lIa"e round a ('u",bina'
liollihal works ror you, F", tho"e "f yo u who (""llhi. way, r w"uld agree
Ihal you should k""p doi ng whal you are doing, [lUI ror Ihose who are t,.,.
coming .... red or want 10 streIch your abilities and your profits, you mighl
consider slretching your discipline
To mow 10 a new level of cleval"" I)('rfo""unce ill any endeavor ta kes
sl .... lCh i"g beyu"d yuu' cumfurt "",ne. Wh"n yuu accu"'plish Ihi!! . yuu are
mure likely 11.1 be able 10 .... ap I.he """MM uf wurking al a higher I,,"el uf
skill.
Anyoll~ who l~~s pm1icipated ill 'my ronn "f alhlN.iCS knows the Imp"r.
\alIce of str<>tching '0 achieve hog.he, I*rformance Without stretching, you
will limit your ability 10 I*rfoml and perhaps evcnlnjure yourself, Wh~1\ I
was a concert sill.ll"r, I pra~1kcd singing 10 Ihe P ab,,,,e Hl.Ilh C so I could
sing in a rang" to Higlo C witloouL straining lily vok", As a danet'r, I pra<.>
lic~d duing five spi'lS Oil one fool wi1 IoOlll Slopping s<> I would fed co "'foot-
able perfonningat fou"
Traders al." ,,""" 10 s~tch 10 k""p Ih~ir trading int~reslil\g and al·
low them w ~xl*rienee more oppon uni1y, You will ",cognize lhal more
opportunily pr('S('nts itsdf wh~n you streIch from your comfort wrH'. This
is a funClion of directin g Ih" "'ind to t'xjwnd itsel f. If you do nol keep grow_
ing, th"n you ",ay s.~oolage yo,,, eITons fro", shee ' oo ...."to"'.

The following are examples of how to do so.

Trlu'" Only II I'urllun ul all IlIghl-ltulir IJ;I~'

Many I",d~", f{'main al\OCI,~d to Ihe old eight-hour workday ~rhie. On~ of
(he ad"anlages (.hal ,raders .. rtioy is fhal tJwy do "01 have to work a full
eight hours (0 reeei"e the bene~1 of a full day's wage. I kno,,"' a nun'ber
of tmrlers who make a "~I)' c.mnfon.ahle living from willing in one or 11'10
hours a ,lay. In fact, I have §uggesl",llo ...,veral oflhe trarlers thaI I coac.h
that Ihey trade less hours. They have found Ihat tI,ey earn more money
and enjoy life and trading more because they are less stressed, Of COllrse ,
U,," d0<'8 1001 mean thaI you take ~ w ay study time or dewlopmerll lime,
esp,-cially whe" YUII are a beg inning t.rade •.
:-;uli.. e the pallen,s whe" yuu ,,'a ke and I""" morrey. Try 10 'e,:cog"i'e
the lime of day, time of Wl'f'k, lime of year, and your p""""laI energy d uri ng
t.hose times. ThL~ inf",malion §houl<i give yuu a dear I'ic.ture of wl~~t ti"w_~
are best for you to earn the mosl profits.

/I f~'"
trade", I'a "e said to nw, -[ wish that I could f.,..1 comfortable lrading
" 10", conlracts." I... t's IL';.S,," 'c lhal II ... ir comfort level is al to conlracts
and Ihey waul 10 lra~e 100 wnlraelS. Toju,,'p fro", to coulract~ 10 100
is 10<, big of a stretch. llut, lrading 15 contraCL~ 0" wl~~t you "intuit " to
be the l>eller lrarles "'oulrl be a ",o.kahle psyc.hological strt'tch to start
lUward a new level of risk. 1'.1,en thaI level of risk becomes comfortable,
you migh t be ready 10 stretch risk lU 2{1 contracts and so on. If you cannot
incrcme"tally build on ass"nung morc risk, Ihcn go bac k to what you are
com fortable ",ilh autVor see k 0,,1 .. oachiug if you arc nut saljsfk'{I wilh
whal yuu ar~ riS king.

Some trade", do nut have the ability 10 trade all of the signals that thei r
s~"'lem givcs, Li ke Ihe 1"""0US suggestion of tncITasirrg risk, begin slowly
by in" .... asing the number of trad<'S each day and reward YOUJ'S<'lf for your
dfort!!. MOiSI Irooing sYSI~ms are d.-..ignru 10 gain Ih .. mm;1 profil only if
you !ak~ att of I.he signals. If IhOs is Ih" case with your syst"m , and you ha>'e
l••,en unable to (.(J.ke YOll r (rod"", ~till build slo",ly. Realize that ~'ou nlighl
not make p"'fil~ ri lLring this time, bUI that you a .... building the dL'<CipUne
necessary to fo jjow your system.
Too many lraders become angry wilh them""lv<'S for not taking all of
th ~ trad,"" from thdr system and il I.. ads 10 th~" demise as a trader, \\1,,' n
you ~"joy II,e proc<"S!l of becoming mort' dise,plim"<l each day and know
thai you M~ drawing duser 10 your goal, you wi tt be less likdy \0 fruslrale
yo ursel f inlo making bad choic~s. Moot lrod~", do not begin !heir lrad ·
ing ~ar""r by making ",<",ey. It Os Ihe way Ihal Ihe proces.~ or hecoming a
lraMr L~ I~~nriled Iltal ",m Mtermine ,,'heth .. r or not yo u "ill he able 10 Slay
the course.
On.. oflhe way" 10 become morc d,seipitncd In foUowin~ your rules is
I.. ammg nOi to mak .. th .. sam~ mistak<'S o>'er and ""(' r If you arc among
tlw f"w lraders who mak" pro'il~ fron' Ih" l>cginning, l>c SU"', 10 d""elop
connngency plans for th" in~"ilable drowdown. 8o ''' "On""",, it is better 10
..xperi .. nce los.~ frum the b..g;,,,,ing hecaus.. il toughens you fur limes wh,'n
a dro",down in eq uit.y occurs.

T3~1' 1'{,ll'I'r Traill's

Taking too many tmdes IS usually more of u pfoblem than not ta king
enough. If tI,is is an i"""e for you, st.~r\ 10 qualify your trades on a'lCalc
of I 10 !O wil.h !O bt'ing best., and only lake (he beller Irad"s. \\'1I"n you
qualify your trade;;, you will begin [" nol.i,-,~ "'0.... d~tail in the moot prof.
ilahl~ lrad"" . Two option.~ to qUalify lrode;; {,an he ",ilh a technical Hllering
syslem or by using some fOfm of discretion. 11,.. impo"am lrung is 10 adJUSI
your rules 10 any changes Ihal are made. so you dun'l give the impression
10 your n~uf()lugy that it ;s okay to go against your rules,

For a change, ~'ou mighl lest your sy~I" '" in otl,.,r ,,'ark('t.s. If you ha>'e
b.... n cotl~islentJy making money in one ,-,omm<Mlily and want 10 hran{'h out
10 nnd mo .... opp"n anlties, you migh l begin 1<'Sling your melhod on <>Iher
commodities Trade these markets only if you have t<'Sted your system and
have dNermllled Ihat il is likely to bring m additional profits. If you find thai
Ih;s confu""" you or does nol work forso",c reason , then go bac k to your
onllinal mClhod, Everyo"" has a differentlcvd of tolerdncc and focus, For
son\" Pt'Ople, one n\ark~1 is all ttw U'~y can ha"dl(', whilc olhers becomc
bored and 1<_ I'ruHL~ if Ih"y don 'I juggle trading several ~"'n,,\( .. liliPs.
I :il' HRETCHtN{; ~ND EXP~ND t N{; ~OlIR'iE l f AS ~ TAADER

\I""lIu, Ollw, \11'111",1"

ForthOS!' of you who love the researeh and development phase of trading,
you might ~tan dew lOl,ing other methods and monitor their progress while
followin~ your ungina! method "" lon~ "" it do<'" not interfere with your
f><'rfonnanc~, Trading IWO or n'o", SYSlcnlS mighl lit" ad,'ant.ag~'<Jus- The
n~w 8YSII"m mighl ,,'o, k beu~r when the ,narkl'l.S cloar'g~ or yo" n'ighl lind
that you benenl ju.~1 by keeping your " ...,ative juice-s Howins,
If yuu el\j"y de,'eloping S}'slelll8, the..., is aL«) the p"ssibility 01 ",.lIinS
systems that you lia,'e developed, JUSI make sure Ihat you do not change
your profil making system too fr<'quenUy II periodiC re,iew CW'I')' !!Iree
nlonths is a good benchmark for r"",cw ing and rc·t<'Sling your system. You
dun't want IU killlhc gulden gt>U8t',

l.i slrn In Tal~" and Wt' ~HllltJtJ~s

On~ n"w idea can make a drn,natic diffeR"ncc in yuu r tradius "'~ult.s, AI·
ways give yourself time in the day to siudy bey"nd what you al...,ady know,
The more education you have, the Ill"..., you will be able tn ~ognize 0 ....
ponunity, I'm also IIOt referring to education thai d,...,ctty relates 10 trading.
Ask yourself before you embark on any lIew learnillg experience, "What
docs II,," ha"e 10 do wilh trading and making money?" and notice the an·
swer when it com"",
or CUUffle, lit" cautiuus al>out lelting "1 1\~r peuple's ideas l'<JnfUS<' yuu ,
Give yo urself pennission t" try oUi new ideas "nly wh"n you ar,' working
"n a peri()di~ """~w ul y"ur system ,

1IIIII r ll\'t· \'oour r ..ll is 3 11,11~ lI\lrnllltl('1I1

Rpmember your first comp titp"" Remember how slow IOnrl jj,nite<1 in lea·
lUres it was when compared to the olle Ihat you a..., using now? Each year
Ihe .... is new technology and "ew tools that will enhance your perfomlance.
Make sure that you keep up to date ..... ilb whal is a'"ailable II good method
for keepill.'l up with technological advancC8 is by going 10 trading confcr·
cnces an" rC"iewillg trade magazincs an" I)ubli~atiuns
o...x:asiuually, "'vi~ ..... yuu, wurking "'''' irou",,,III an" ask y""fflelf hu,,'
you ~an make It nHlfe ~"nducive to nunwing top perf"""""ce, c,,,~.i,ler
Ill """ possibilities,

• I""" dutler in your working "nvironment

• a lar.o:cr flat computer ser ...." or a panel or !!Cree""
• a fasterl'<Julpuler
• bellcr software
s".rrhing Your Trading Ditripim< 1:i7

• ben~rligh.ing
• mOfP effiCietll atldlorl",,-~ HpI'nsive services
• att assl~tant
• an ergonomIc chair

SI' II· hlll,nllt'111"111

MIN you ha>'c b .... n trading for a tim ... you will b ..j(in 10 ",aliZ<' thaI tmdm.o;
is a trip of .... Ir.... i&:o>·cry . Matty Iratl ....s lind Ihal disco>'ering IhclI.scl ....f<
is ",ore intPtJrlan. Ihan making "'o"~y_ Bol usually. you don'l begin to
think thl~ way until you afi' eaming """wy C'JI"istently. When you add tWW
skills, abilities, ""d edncatiu" to YOUf ,,,,,uure,,", yu" build your self.w"rth
",,<I when traders fffl good about themselv,-"", the .. tradmg improv,-"",

Th" type of (><'rson who become!! a successful trdd"r IS usually a multI'

faceted individual who neetls con81anl stint "ial ion_ For thiS reason . stretch·
ing frolll Ihe nonnal range of one's ability and focus sho uld be an illlpor.
tant part <>r a succf'SSful trader', life_ Eanting proOts l~ usually the goal of
","'''ry trader, hut wh .. n you add to thaI goal "et\j<tying th .. 1"'>Ces.~ of eam·
ing profits: it ts mo", likely that you will eant more profits and Ita,'., a
beuer me.

Digge>' is no l '1 <.'CIJssa rilg belle!" Gud b"wller may .101

be enough.
 III\I'II"~>

Thinking Large
for Traders

hould traJers set large goals that seem impossible UJ achieve or

S should they set smaller, more reaUstic on",,? Should they try w tacklc
all of their goals at once or just one at a time? Which strategies prO"
duce better ""'ults? The (lnSweffl "'ay aU'l,rise you .

Realis~~ tend tu win (1rgu",,·"ts. Tlwy use fll<.1.~ and I;gu""" lug;", and "u"'-
",,'" sense to lJul.ter their position8. On l'lfJ"r, p,'prything pn>Sentpd by
the realist looks much beuer than the posi{jon_~ held by the unreall.tic
dreamer Realist.'! rarely get themse]v"" into trouble and they create sta-
bility in their environment.'!. In fact, the world needs realistic thinkers to
k.... p the rest of us from drifting off into the stratosphere, They kC<'p the
uninfol1n<'<l and the lazy honest by testing theIT position,. a!(alnst thc facts.
This all sounds goooJ, SO whal is Ihe probleln"
Years ago. while I was "onducling re",,,.r<; h illlo the lives of highly suc-
cessful people. Illllerviewl'<l a man who wa.~ a real estate mogull"ng t....
fo", real estate bpcame the hyped-up source of s])<'culation for the J ohnny-
come-latelies. I asked hlffi Ius secret for succ<_ and he saId he could sum
it up in o"c phr<lS(' "I W,,", too stupid w know what you couldn't do: he
;,.,~id with a wink. Theil, he proceetiell to tell me that he "'ould walk inlo a
deal \.,iU, lawyeffl whu 1I'0llid explain in det;)il why it was ,,"'ealistic and
c.nu!d nut work. lie said that , in hL. el'l><'rience, !a",yers weft' trained \.<>

159
160 HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~OlIR'iE l f AS ~ TAADER

find Ihe problems in a siluation and nol the "ppoltuilities. In fad, for him ,
Ihey epitomized Ihe realistic thinker.
Our real ""tate mogul was convinced that you could not make real
"mney If you thoughl realistically. This IS also true for th<l&" who wam to
lose w"lgill. People who sel realislic goals are nut as likely to lOS<" as much
"'eigh( as th""" who set unrealistic g",~ls_ I ha"e experienced (his myself
and ha,·c seen (h;)( Ih is was aloo (rue for u'any of my fricuds whcu I Was
a nHwlel . Fur years, diNN" I~we bM>n cautioned 10 set the musl reall~ti,!
guals . In fael. if yuu look at maJor welgllt-Ioss programs such as Welglll
Watchers, dieters are atlvised to set unly the musl mooest uf goals-a
pound or two a w('{'k. One factor for those who IuS<" murt' weiglll ,,-hen
th<'Y haw unrealistic expectaUoll.'l, IS Ihal they are motivatNi by their opti·
"listie exp .....1,(lti"u.~_ Tr(\(ICI'S muM cunSlan( Iy guard against the <>lispercep·
tions of their famili"" and d,_ friends thai they flu not deal in the real
world and thatlhey are pi ... in,th ...sky dreamers who should get "real" j(~'s .
When Ihese tJP"" of su--eaUed unrealtstic lraders suee .... d, they are able
to suceee-d on a much greater scale Ihall those whu ha,'e sci their goals
real istically_

Here l~ Ihe t<eC",,,1 element of realistic Ihinking: If you hav" a sel of goals,
it is besllO address one goal al a lime rather than allempllo do Ihem all at
once The logiC here is Ihal you will make sleady and slow progress toward
tt,e etlmlll~llon uf ~acl, and every goal, given ~ uffici~nt time. The concern
is (hat if you an~ mplto add","" all of )'our goals simultan('Ously, you will
be u~erwheh"ed by 00 '''ud, chauge au~ SO "'uCh challeng,· UW you will
lose focus and c""cculm(i"". an" give up Ihe erf"r( enti ..... ly_
ThL. """'goal,at,a,li",e pnlcess i. jUst another variation of Ihe ""... Ioe,
intu-th ... waler-al-a-ume method lhat gelS you into the pool very, wry grad-
ually. rather Ihan diving in all al once. If you take il slowly imo Ihe pool ,
your body ..... ill slowly a,ljust to the cold water ratl'~r U,an being bit with Ihe
shock of Ih~ cold all al once. So, ,,-hid, one arc you- th,· one who tak~s
it sluwly in(u Ihe poul or u,~ un~ who plunges in" If yo" are Ihe one who
take< il an inch at a time. hav" yo u noli~e<llhat y"ur friend who plunge<1 in
is swimming "","Old and e"Joying Ihe floul while you are still ..... orking un
getting your arms wet?
Could it be Ihat combining goals &1'-"" you mure motivation 10 suec .... d
tl'an if you tak.. it Just one ~I~P al a tim~? Is the sum total of progress
along a number of fronlS 00 much grcaler Ihan Ihe progress you can see
un oue fron( (ha( you a .... inspired IU ket>1I going' If Ihe questiun is tOlal
Thjnl<ing L"r9~ for Trod", llil

n\om~nlUm , Ihan you can a~d ~Ven ,,'ore goals inlo Ihe mi~. Why SlOp al
Just
. a "......
~

OP1' nIlS~1 \ 'S . PII SSnIlS~1

Se!linglargc goals ap""a"'lo require more OJ)\i",,s", in Ihc oulcome than

tlW realistic thinker who St'lS rralislic goals. R~ali.stic I.hinkers tt'nd 10 be
",ore pessin'",Uc in my e~""rience than the Ihinking large individuals. I f a
lrarl~r I~n,l. to he a re"siml.I, he will al<;<, lend 10 set ~'naUer, more reall.ti"
goals. Dut, tltis Iype of thinking may signilkantly re.-!uc,e his ullimate level
of achiewment.
II would be a social scientist's dream w gel a thousand traders who
Wt',e realislic n"nke", (i .e., pesSimist,c Ihinkers) 10 S<'I unrealIStic goals
and "o,npare II,,, results 10 an t~IUal nun,b·"r or eonlrol subjecls who are
also realiStic Ihinkers who would s,-t realislic goals. Would the first group
of lraders do signilkantly b<>uer than Ihe <:<",if<,1 group? I b<>lieve they
..... ould.

With all or th .. social anrl political press" .... nn a trader to t... reall~ti~
thinkers, es""dally U1 view of the current eeo""nuc silualion. il is im-
portant 10 Slay aware of Ihe impllcaliollS of these t"'O studies. Realistic
thinking is sm"U !I"nking and small thinking creates small resulls. Unreal·
istic Ihinking is optimislic Ihinking, and il is demonstraled in these studies
thai Ihis kind or thinking creal'''' large "-"'ullS- the kind of thinking Ihat a
lrader wil h ambition 10 succeed muSI c"llivat~. So, here arc "'-',,'~ exercise;
and slml~gi"" to k""p your thlnki\\g large and. by p~lel\sion, your .... UIL~
as well.

Gtw l St-lling
If you ha~e nol don .. a goal..."Uing excrciS(' in ..-cent limc, S('t aside som ..
ti,n". [Jut, do nol Ihink of Ihis prue""" as a cho,,' or as something that
would be other than pleasanl. Por this goal <Setting e~ercise to be drec!iv~.
il should be frame.-! a.~ a truly e'\ioyable P~p<'nen"", like getting a 'na..sag~
or being treate.-!Io a greal meal . The reas"n for sNting th .. atmosphere
ror Ihis goal·selling experience as a relaxing, delightfully reward,ng experi-
ence is beeause you cannot set large goals if you are worried or anxious, de-
pressed. r<"<'ling t,ghl and streSSNl, or reluctant. ThIS ~03I-S('lIinl! exercise
is design~d to gel you d .... aming of whm you would really want, Thus, you
cannot b~ co"~l rain~'<l by Ihc superegu voice in your hcad U'a ~ lelb yuu I,hal
yuur g",~1 is unrealislic, unn~";e&;ary, uwr·the-lo]" g='<ly, "",If.indu lgenl,
or that you rlu ",,1 rll':So>l'\Ie It for any number of rea.'I<"I.~,
The IleSl goal~lting experience [e,'er harl was al the side of a beauti·
fur OIymp,c-5ized pool, " 'j,,[e I was lying on a chaISe lounge und~ r a brilliant
clo"dJ<-'SS sky on a warn, summer day. With no on~ to bother me, I filled two
pages of a yd[ow legal pad wilh the mosl im(Xl8llib[e goals I could imagine,
Pive year'!! lale', I found Ihat list and, to "'y aslunisl,mcnl, [ had fuJfill~'<l
each and e>'Ny on~ uflhose in'(XI8Ilible goals, I had thuught ~~rge and had
heen rewarded_
So, when you do this thinking large goal setting, you wam to pram your·
self in a place where you can dream reaUy big. I recommend being some·
where around water or nature-a place where you arc i1\ toue!> wilh the
sky and the vaslness of lrungs. You want to make certam Ihm you will not
be inl~rrupted by anyone, SO do nut bring yu," cell phonc with you ,
:-;01", Slart w write, Whal an, the biggest goaL~ you ha" e-Ihe long.
tern, "n"" and the shon.term ,,,,,,,,9 What are Ihe imros.~ihle and ul\reall~lic
ones' Do not aU" ..· yuunre[fto be ce"son~t No ,n,,' l~ walching you and no
one cares illums out thai the only one who hm;t.s Ihe size uf your goals is
you. But a ea""at here: Koone is looking o~er your shoulder as you create
Ih{'S(' goals, and you should k('('p illhat way. Your goals are your business
and no onc cl"",'s_ The 13rgcr th~ goals, the lI\ore u(h~rs will be threalen~'<l
by Ih~l\\ and will wallt (0" sabut.ag~ them by cruding yo", connd~IIl''' and
ridiculing you for entertaining su~h I"fiy guals,

Tht'l'lan
Once yo" ha"e wriu~n down yo", large, umealistic g",~ls, yuu will need to
do some planning. [Jpre l~ wher.. it l< IlOssible "nd e,'en positiv.. tu tndude
some realistic thinking. You will want 10 tak .. s1<>ck of your as,-""l~ and
resoure"" so Ihal you can mob,[ize them to help you achieve your goals.
You will want to make u"'" of ",'cry one of th""" resources, and eSl)~'Cially
all of your p""",nal contacts. We ofien aehie"" our most impossible goals
t.hrough a serendipitous chain of pe"",na[ contacts that bring us to tI,e ex·
acl persull ....·<lUired 10 ," ak" our imp<JSsible goal a reality. It is h~lprul to
make IiSL~ of the sleps you will o..... l til lake 10 reach your goals and the pP<!-
pIe y"u II-ill ne<'d (0 ,!ont-,"'L AlIIl thl~ l~ lhe part that. goes agaill.<1 eo,,,,.. n·
lional wisdom; Work Oil Ihese goals simultaneously. and not sequentlal[y.

I ha~e reamed to reward each success and each slep achieved on the
path 10 a ~oa[ as a way or re",forcing fulure Successes. If you !lave been
thinking large and selling large goals, when you achIeve them , yuu will
need 10 reward YOlffi<{'lf larg<' as wen Small re"-am" for Ihe achie"enle",
of large goals defNllS I.he procfflS by sending the wrung "\('$(lg~ to your
""urology. Su, ill your plan"i"g, you ,,'ighl alr;o wanl 10 lisl IIw rewanls you
would like lu give yuurself for achieving these goals. Make thu"" rewards
so .. nli~il\g that yuu 1....:0"' .. ov .."",heh"ed with excileme"t 31 the thuugh!.

( :0 \:C :I .I 'S I 0 \:

Large ,,-'SullS du not come frum thinking small. lfyuu want to be a highly
successful trad .. r, you WIll nero 10 nUnUT<" yuur ability tu think lar..:... 10
be uptimlstic in yuur goals, and tu aim wnh a shutgun 10 adll""" tI, .. m
ralherllUln a line . Tu think large, yuu will have to leave l>ehind Ihe lin\iU"g
realistic thinking 1I131 supports a pessinlistiC view uf whal can be 3(;loi",-",1
and how long It will take.

PI,,!! illOuUield of dreu m " of lI'/wl ~eelll~ 10 be i III po~~ jbie,

ulld }jOU mifJiltJi nd 011 tit is I)()~~ible just b.!l allow! "9 [he
t/,wm to be the,.e.
 11I\"I.lt~11

Trading the
Dream

f ~ .... ams are (he gallan. Sleeds upon whkh lr(l~e'" lriumphanUy enler

I the Kingrl'>nl of Market Su~~f'S..~, then famas;"" are thl' shinunering illu_
sions seL in thl'ir path to defeat them. It is "ital for trarlers to know the
difference
Fantasy is an imponam pan of childh<><>d. Do you remember how, as
a child, you wanwd 10 b~ a cowboy or, perhaps, a super h~ro? You rooc
around the house on your br()(}mstick pony, only 10 be disillW'lioncd by your
older broU'er telling yu" W swet'p the H()(}r. PNhaps, you wore that tal'"
'nade oul of an old tt)wel, kl\,ming that you ",,,,ld Ipap t.aJ1 huildings m a
single hound , only 1<) finrl yourself with a broken ann whl'n youjuml'ed otIL
of your first-story window. Nuw, all grown up, yuu have a new fantasy (0 be
a eommodity traJer and to reap all the rewards and adulations Ihal come
from being successful, only 10 find that you ha,·c Iu.;t your bank account
along witll (1,1' fantasy.

I)R RUIS UO 1:4U'" TRL I':

The words ""'am and fantasy are often u8C<l as synonyms, but the differ·
cnCe be4w .... n thc'" is far greater than ",,->,nantics. Th..s.: lwo words rep·
resenl Iwo opposing philosophica l pOl>i,"on". A dream, though not )'1'1 a
reality, has the potl'nlial to I>e<;ome "ne. A dream l~ crealed in order to
,naniff'St a future realily_Dreams rep ..."",mln1entiol\.

I tiS
I fifi

A young athlete who dreams of !><>coming an Olympic gold-medal win-

ner is the young man or woman who then practices eight hou", a day,
mak"" sacnfiC<."5 of nnw, efTon . comfort, and immNliate gratification. The
tradNS who dream of becoming great traders ari"" early to start the day,
spend co untless hours reading about thei r Ileld , tlwn reSt'ard,. de~elot"
and u.st their methodologies anrl sysu.m., and tak~ every opportunity (0
de~elop thernsd"p's psychologically and profes.~ionally.
It is true that many dreams appear, Oil the surfa".,. to be as imp05sible
to tum Into rcality as fantasies. So, what ""parat"" a dream from a fantasy?
i\ drea m is a rant a~y tha ~ you re~ lI y wan t to ma ke ha ppen ,
A dream repr"""nts somct hing thai you ... a lly care about. so "' eU,ing
!Ita! makes you want to take action to tun, il into reality. A d ream is a true
,,,oti.-aUug foree anrl the making of it into a reality becomes a l\ee<1.
Dreams often stan out as visions ....ithout fonn and detaiLjU5t like most
falltas'es. [lut, ollce you see the vision as a real goal, it takes on the fonn
of a dream in which you begin to gh'e it shape "nd detail As it dc,-dops,
)'ou add color, te~turl', "",und. smdl. and emotion to it. The more ofd,,,,,,,
eien'enls you add 10 Ihe original "ision, Ihe more of a d ream il becomes_
II-'hen t.he drean' is drea,netJ wi lh p~lssion and f..... lu en~'Y, eVen ,.,hen you
are dreaming what ""e,,~~ In be an imptJ!<Sible dream. you are mnre likely 10
make it a reality Dlfficulti"" and challeng"" !><>come pan of an e~perientiaj
proc<'Sll in making that drean, come true ""hen it is a dream you really want
to happen, with ewrything that co~''''' .... ith it !><>cO~llIl'" real.

I'ill'ta.~i"", howe"er, are "01 necess-utly smnNhing we Will't to experience

in reality. While a fantasy might have the same appearance as a drl'an,. its
nl" mf""lation would nol necessarily be something thaI would please you.
For exam]lle, you might fanlasi.e about the death of someonc at whom you
arc an",l)'. but. hOI'<'fully, you would n'" really wam that fantasy to bN:ome
a .... alily. It is con",'on for peopl~ to haw ""~ual fantasies Ihat arc pleasur.
able in their non.reality ronn but not ",....'eSSarily pleasurable in Iheir actual
realization_ Many people fantasize all<,ut e~dling and dangerous care<''''
such as astronauts. firefighters, Jel ]liluts. and spi"" that they would ha"e
1\0 real interest in pursuing in reality.
Frt>qucnUy, how""cr, propl~ fool themscl~ "" inw b<eli~" ing that tl,cir
fantasi.". arc actually dr<'anls or they cannot IcU the diffcrl'nec bctwe~n
a particular fantasy and a drea,"_ There arc CO"" llCll ing rea!;ons why thiS
""If·delusion o<;~ur,,_
IVlo ... n a fantasy is not a r"a~""ble goal , tI, ... ", is no confusion, For ...xampl ... ,
a sholt, elderly woman ""ho is a loundretJ pounds o"er.wei gl'l can f""la·
Si"~ aboul bein g a SUiJt'nlOodel, but she kn",,"'S that it is simply a fant."lSy.
11",',e"er. when a tall and slender young woman fantasizes about being a
supennu<lel, Bile may t"'gin to believe that her fru'Lasy luIS air under Its
wings. It is dear that the fantasy of becoming a drag"n stayer is a not a,,~
aiizabte goal . [lUI , many fantasies are witrun the bounds of reason. Thus.
an ime lhg"m and I,;ghly trained indi>ioual with a ..:oud track "..,ord of
sel f·discipline and accorrrplisl""eni.S can lell hirrrsel f thai his funlasy of
l>cco"'ing a lop IJUd", i~ real, since he pos"'-_S Ihe prt"equisile (lS.SCt~
and l"eS<'U"'''''.

flllw rs IIl<H· M hh"H·tlllu· I" ~IIII ~S)'

When the successes o f highly rrr"l ivaled dr{>Ulners uchi,,>'ing (l\e ir ;mlX'S"
sible rlreanL~ are widely advertised, it L~ easy for others (0 see their same
fru' tasies a.~ dreams: For example, the stories of Tlloma.~ Edl<on Onding fl,e
secret to making a light bulb afier 40,000 failures, ofM", h",,1 Jordan becom-
ing the greatest baskPtball playe, on earth aner beIng rej..,ted by his varsity
basketball t ... am , of Abe Lincoln becoming presid<-nt of the Unikd StatN!
aft .... bt'1n": born ;10 a log cabin, of Aristotle Onasslll becomin..: on" of Ihe
richesl rrren on earth aft~r a childhood of POVt>rty. The lisl lS long enough
10 indude vinu.~lIy ~,'ery Held of ~ndea"or. Thl.l.~, anyo"e who con.• iders a
fru\t.'lsy of t""",ming a fabulously wealthy trader can Ont! all example of his
fanta.y ha'lling t>ecome a reality for som""ne "I""

Ollll' r .. ,\ r,>(;Iw,'rllll:\ hill On

If you tell supportive, visional)' people in your life about your fantasy, you
might be s urpriS<'d to discm'cr thm t1o ...y bt'he"c you are "01 only ...omIl1it·
tN! to lur",n,,: it InIO a ..... alily but Ihat you are capabl" of doing so. These
l>c tie>'ers nlay unwillingly b~-,:on\e you , e!\t".. , lead~rs in a cause whie!, you
ha>'c no genuine inl~nliu" ur f"Uuw;ng 10 wrupleU"n . Unf"rtuna(ely, yon
might begin h' I"'heve thf hYl'~ fl,at acCOlrlpanies your wonis, finding your·
self in the unimended role of tuming your famasy Inlo a r~a1ity. ThL~ Bitu ·
ation is the sony fate of indi'lliduals who v""aii"" their fantasy 10 run for
clected offi ...... only 10 find Ibem""I,",," In a race fo. a ""at Ih"y do not really
want to ocrUllY. It is also Ih" sIory of unint ... ndt-d wcddifWI, familit'S, and
assignmc nts.
168 HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~OlIR'iE l f AS ~ TAADER

n~ I.I . I\,(i I' \\,T'\S"'~ S I' KeHI "K.~ \US

liow can you lell if your fanlasy is jru<1 thai and not a real dream? Actu-
ally, it is relati~~ly easy 10 diSlinguisl' lot-tw .... n a fantasy and a d .... by "m
laking the [ollowing I""t. Y00 can wrile down your anSw,,'" or ,","rely "er-
l,a1ize them to yoursf'lf. The only fe(luirement is heing totally honest with
you,.,...lf.

lJ{'sf rllll ' You r Fa nl :l s~'

Look at your fantasy and <IN!Cribe il in detmL Talk about whm you II('{' and
hear and r....,1 and Wste. Relate as much partiCularity as possibl~.

• WI~~Idoes il I'>llk like?

• Whal emotions are you feeling?
• What are you do",g in your fantasy?
• What arc Ihe rewants of your fantasy?
• What arc Ihe con""'lu"nC~"8 of ~'o"r fanWsy?

ASSt' SS li s Inlt-usll )'

1I0w de1ailed is thl. ("masy?

• What is the nmure o(your"molion,,?

• How mtense ,,'" th""" emotio",,?
• Whal would yuu gain Of lOSt' by (hiS fanmsy be<,.'<),ni"g a realily'

,\ SS t' SS Ynur ( :nllllllll",..1I1

WI~~t l. required 1<) lum Ihis fantasy imo reality alUl am J willing to do it?

• Wlw arc you not ",-flhng to do 10 lu", Ih,s into a ",olity?

• How much (im~, ~rrort, and 'Honey a .... ~'ou willing to pul inlo i("
• How "'uch p.~in and loss arc you willing to bear"
• []"w muc.h rt'je<:!i"n and failure and embarra.'lsmen! are you willing to
tolem1e to reach this goal?
• lI"w long are you wilhng to go the dislan".,?

!low n,uch do you need to .... act, tl,;,; goal and ho"," will you feel about
you"",lf and your life if you rl() not achieve thl~ goal?
Trading'~ Dr~Qm Hi9

,\ SS I'SS Us HI'~ 'il )' Quolh-III

Is thl~ goa! ac.hievable?

• lIa,'" ollwrs achlev"" this goal?

• lIa'.,. uthers "'ith your",.,...ts and resourc..,. achieved this goal?
• Are you wiUing to make your fantasy public to family, (fiends, and
"""""i at ""?
• Will th .. sigmficam PCOD'" m your hfe SUPPO" you ;" ad"c'~nll
Ihis goo.!'
• And huw ,,-ill you be aff"'!t"" if they teU you it is hopele-s.~ and im·
possible?

Now that you have hon..,.tJy examined your fantasy, you ",ill be able to
detem,ine if you have a level of emutional need and commitment suffidet\l
to bring It to fruitio" If you do, Ih .. n wh at you Iwve is really a dream. a
reali""ble drcam that hal! legs on whIch to lra,-d .
If yuu di'lCu"~r ,hat yu"r (lrea,,' is ""'a,,ingf,,1 lu yu", lh~ act uf M~
senbi"g it in detail and g;,,,ng it se,\.",,1)' asp"'!ts will ac.umlly hell' yuu to
tum that dr<>am i"to r<>ality_ Wh"n people wh" have :>chie,''''' tI,eir ;mr><....
sible dreams tell you that th ..y could actually taste their victol)', could hear
the crowds roaring, could reel the sweat on their brow, you know that th ..y
were 1" 'i'll! their dreams before they actually aduewd th~,, ' This power'
fully detailed '"sional)' eXl) .. nenc~ give!! your ncurology tll~ plan "-' w~n as
lh~ muti"aliu" to "'act, yuur gual .
On the other hand, you can put aside your faHtasy as merely enl.enain-
m,,)\{ and Wishful thinking if:

• y"ur ability tll see and feel and "._,Ie your famasy is anemic
• your willingness to experie""., the hardship and commitment Its
achicwmcnt willlNlu,re IS IIot powerful
• you ill{' unwilling to tnk~ the actIons that are r<"Qwrcd to turn this
~ .... a", inloreality

Many traders come ;nto the profession uf trading under th" spell "f a fan·
tasy, They have a vague idea of how successful they are going to be and
how easy it is gOlllg to Ue fo r them. These traders are desti,,"" to rail. " ow-
c,.... , the traM", wloo ~nter thc lidti on thc wings ofa pow .. rful tin'",,, arc
,,.
cOOlJWllcd to do ",-hatcw r It takes 10 succeed, and succced they will It is
;"'l'urw"l, IhN~rore, 10 understand if you 3rc a d .... u"'j"g visiu"ary "r a
wishrul ranllL'lizCT.

YQU will Quill be '"Cod!! /0>' Ihe lIeJ" level. oj success u'hen
you ca'i follow you '" nlie;; without Qucslio'i.
 11I\1'11"~7

Stretching Life
to the Next
Level of Success

ur neurological system is eomfonable with our habitual lI<'havior

O patterns and will 8uppon us ",'uh tlw slallls quo. I develoJl('d a

Trader E"alumion to gi"e feedback to traders so that they will know
whW is hold ing then' bad fro", ad,i~,'ing ~ad, ne~\ lev~1 of suC,"'&!. If you
a .... losing, ""inning, or I~v~l~d out with consiste"( prollts but not growing,
you are very likely to stay in that situation U\~ess you are "-illing to do
what is n"'!",,-'!al)' to stret.::h . MuM people wh" want t" lnc .... a.... their per·
forn,ancp are wiUing to ",ad a book or go to a seminar, but not willing to
eOl\s;s[('l\Uy foUow tllrough on what th<'Y ha".:: leamNl over the I"nll haul.
The question is, whal d0C8 itla k.:: to s(rt'(clo , and art' you S<'nously willtng
tu "'ak~ (hat co,,,,,,itn',"n(" If you ar~ nol, tl'~n expect the 'la"'e resuUs, If
you are, then g~t ready h' ta k ~ a (rip to the ,,~,( k'1.'el uf su~...."eSS. My 1"-0./""
EI.V lilwlion, which is pan of the 1'md ;"9 0» TUlY<" Home SI",ly C",,,,S<!,
is a good first step in the process l>Pcause through my evaluation I can tell
you what is holding you back from top perfurmance

R"~ un TIIF. n :XT I,F-VIII, OF SLU:l:SS

'V l 'R\!)l\fi
The fact is most ufyou ha.-., been I"gh achieve!>! in your life. But now 11m!
yuu I'a"~ .... aclwd and perhaps "'ain(ai",~1 a lev~1 of SUl"'':'-''SS in y"ur tmding
o"er a period urtime are you willing (u du what it tak~s (0 reach ~'o"r n,·,t
lewl \If su~~es...? Most pe"ple are not, I>e<:ause they are co",fon able with

'"
172 HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~OlIR'iE l f AS ~ TAADER

(he s((t(us (I'KI, they don'l wanl'o take Oil allY addilional risk ur r<'Spons;,
bilily, or th~y ar~ to" lazy 10 rl" what L~ ne<:~s"ary I" arlrl new r"""ure"".
I wa.~ working with a floor trarler nam ...1 Dill. lie was afraid of ele<:-
tronic trading. but knew that if he did nOl start w transnion off the floor
he "'ould not be able 10 maintain his present lir""tyle, llis momhly biUs
WNe $15,000, \\"Ih his wife lenjoyinll h<'r country clubs and charily work
and his th"", children in pri'-ate schools, be fdt a lremlendo"," pressure to
do wII,ething fMI .
Dill was a guy with a ra.~py voi,y and a limitM v<><;abulary, lIe was
raL.....t in a .... ugh neighl~"t,oo<l in the Drunx. Ilistwo older brothers had
blue---eollar jobs and so did all of h'" cousins. In fact. he was the unly one of
his friends that was able 10 rise out of a limiting memahty and rise to Ihe
lop uf the financial world He left school In the tenth grade, but managed
lat.,r to get a high school degr ..... One d:ty a professional basl"'tball play.,r
,,'110 he was Shooting hoops "' i\l, ,"ade hi", drea", beyond the projedS.
lie intmduc ...1 Dill I" a friend who was a trader and thai Intruductiun 1...1
tu ru, oppmtunily in Ihe markets. Dill became a runner al the 1<iew York
Mercanlile Exchange. From the.., it took him 2{1 years 10 become one of
the best traders in the pit. He literally failed hi.'! way WsucC"",,,
Ik can,e 10 one of Ihe workshops tha( I was pr('S('nting at a conference,
lie co"r.d~'d IU "'e aboul his reM or Ihe r"III'-". f'onllnatcly, his ""II (aught
hi", how 10 lise th~ COII'p"ler and he had r~ad enollgh books on lrading
and Ie<:hnical allal)lllis 10 gi,'e him a ba..... to start in electrunic. trariing. Dill
said Ihal he knew he c.o,,]d make m"'leY, bUI wa.. arraid he would not lie
abl" w make Ihe same kind of money Ihat he was used to.
We st"""d by eliminating the issu"" and th" conflicts in his lif" that
would kC<'p him frum believing that 11" wasn'l capable of m""'leri"l! elec-
Ironic lrading. n,.." I ,,"'ork~'(1 wilh hin' on the following nlOdd . Th~'SC are
(he IOSlellS to achi",·" Ihe ne'( le,'~1 "r SUl-.::eS8.

I, Focus 0" what you spe<:ifieally want. In IllS case he knew tha( he
wau,ed '" Irade Ihe sa"'e co," n\(.ldily in the sa"'e ti m" fmllle.
~, I~a" h"w W achieve i~

• Ruource..-skills, obi! ilies, " du cation , He nceded addilional in-

ron" al.io" "n II",,"' t" build Ihe !~ct'nical part or Imdillg, so I ill, ro-
dUl..,d hi" , to a Imtlillg coach .
• Time, " nergy, mone )', risk. In 1liU'~ case Ihe ",oney and risk were
not an issu~ but the (>n(>tgy and tlm(> was, I worked willi lum on h"w
to inereas<' Ius energy, lie was S"ing t" ha"e to trade I"",, on the floor
for a while, so we work"'" Oil him making mor(> in I""" lime,
• C on ti ngendes_ Hill'~ bigg'-"'I fear was thaI "" "-,,uld ha"e 10 trade
full·lime el"'~tr"nically Ilf'fore he wa.. ready. I 'nade him realize thai
 he had bet'n in troini ng a ll uf t,is troding tife and jusl had I.<J knOl<'
huw to traHsfN hl. training, Listing ~,,~rything that ~ uuld go wrong
and right with the Dest po&"!ibte outcome increased his confidence
for the future,
• S!,ed tk "oals-tas ks and time frame. Bit! was a goa! setter, but
found tl,at "'ritin~ 1I'~m down with specific tmle limits made his way
easl~r,

• Whu ..·lIt be alTened , and i~ it wurth the I,rke " f huw it w ill
alTeet them ? Thl~ pm' "'as the IIH>sllIiffic.uil Dilh family Was u.... l
10 seeing a tot of him in the e,·enings. tle ...t hi.~ fm"ily down and
asked for their suppon and he got iL But thisdidn't mean Ihat hedid
not ha"e a difficult time IIl1ssing Ihe famity pan of his tife,
• Con sider ho,.. )-ollr life,..iIl e han g~ II.ft~r r Oil lI.ehie'·~ r our ne'""
ie'-e l "r 8I1 Cce 8S. Will ~'Oll be able lu handle Ihe new "-"'I",''-Sibiliti''''
and the neW challeng~'S as a result ur a((aining Ihis streich' In !-lilh
case he lun,,,,1 tu trad~ wllh mur<' risk alUl l ffi.~ time un th" H(~,..
Til;.; gave him mor<' time fl>r working behind the cumpute r. lI e luv",l
Ihe fact thaI he finally felt smart, Even wilh all the moner he eanted,
he never felt Ihat way before,
• Will r ou lea'-e enollgh room for rourcreath-e process to "our·
ish? n'e proct·ss uf wurking will\ !Jill tu Decu '''e sllc~,,-"SSful at ,'k..;'
lrunic trad ing took a]"'",,1 a r~ar. I (el\ that it wM in'purWnl Ihal
he rlid nol exhall..t himself as so mmlY traMrs do when they try to
make this tran.• ition . lie was abl~ t" utiUze his energy wis.>ly, ,.,-, hi..
intuitive s kiUs would wl>rk both on and off the Hoor
:1. Wrile an ow",iew o( your life's eommitmentll and whal you are will-
Ing 10 changc, gO'-c U]l, ur ddcgate to make your new l~.'d of s uc"rss
attainable,
In this area, I made s u"" Ihal Bill would use his lirne err....,ti,'ely
by hiring the best pe<Jple along the war so he cuuld e'uuy his lransitiun
more In Ihe slt"",,,;1 amuu nt "f ti",e, Dill's lif.. ",a.. fuU IJefore having to
c<"",,,it the lime 10 lean' ing a new way of trading, hUI his pa.<;.~iol\ m,d
need we ... g... ater. Wejust had to elimlnale the fear for this passion to
molivate him to adu('\'~ his goa!,
·1. It is important to have the significant people in rOUT life be on boan:l to
s u(>po" you;n the changes you will nw k" that aff""\ Ihem,
While his fanHlr said tha' they would be supportIve the", were
rnany disappointments alung the way wilh each of Ihe'" when he was
nol able 10 do Ihe things they used Iu "'\.iuy as a fa, ni ly.
~. Mentally rel'ea"", t.he actiun~ yuu "'i ll haw (u lake in o rder for yuu r
neuwlugic.al system to suppo" yuu in these ehm'g"". See yourself en-
juring the proees....
I 7 .•

Bi ll wid n", that n",mai!y ,~bearsing himself already achic\'ing his

goat was !b~ ,"ai" [hiug UW k~PI I,;", going wht'u Ihe goinggOI rough .
6 . Inlemionally d;r.-ct your Ihoughtll during th~ day and your t:\r('ams at
nighl on your goal 10 creale Ih~ PMSio" n.·..;essary 10 gel you Ih rough
II,.. "'ofe challengiug da~'s_
[Jill's ,\ream l. what hdl'ed hi. family 10 " ouli""e 10 support him_
7. D-u what is n"'!"""a')' to c reate ,,,ore ,ital energy, SO that Y"" will b"
abl~ 10 handl~ the added slf('SS,
AU along Ihe way Bdlleam«l that eveJ)'lhing he took inw his body,
mind . and spirit was meMur«l and dir.-ckd for hin, to be the ultimate
e nergy mach;ne,
II. Align with PN>Jll~ who nt' willing and ~I\IO)' assisting you
While Hill alwa)'!! rdl lhe cO"' fWtilion be[wl>en ol her lrad,'rs. he fl·
ually lean,,'<l Ihal there are n,,~ny I>t-'O{lle who e,yoy gi";ug aud sharing.
li e knows now Ihat ha"irlg ,"'"ple a.o;;;ist him made his way easiN and
m"re enj"yable .
!I. Reward yourself along 1101' way_
[Jill's reward before I started wo, king with him was always ab"ut
p,,,,iding the best life for his family Ile finally learned thai he had
rewards Ihal h~ could el\loy juS! f"r hi",S<'lf. such as connecting with
old fnends and d"",g cI'arity work wnh children ,
10. Bt- a beller p~""m .
While lIill was always ready 10 share i" his p~rsouallire, he now
fj"ds it "'y"yable 10 t'~11' oth", Irad"rs who are go ing through Ihe 8<une
slrugglf'S he went lhmugh.

","ow, I want to ask Ihe quesli"n again. lI"w many ofy"u are willing to
d" ,,-hat is necessary to g~1 to the HHt level or success? If you are nut, then
el\i"y what you have, if you a,~, then slart now.

IV/tell gOI' star/jrom a model ojsuCt'€bS. the pat/I of

sU"cess Iws less //U .'Illes.
 11I\1'11"~11

The Happy
Monkey

or two years, Rex ,",orked hard to create a nearty perf""t trading sys-

F tcm O"e~ he '"'as finally sallsfied wilh his system, he paper tmdNl
it ror another year until il was ntakill~ very healthy profits on ]Japer,
When he WaS co"'fortable wiU, tI' e final a,ljusln'ents he had n'ade to hi~
sysle"', Rex WaS finally .... ady 10 risk his as:;cts. Six "'onlhs into his trading,
hI' was l"I'Ceivjng the finanCial rewant. o[ the system that he had work."j
"0 diligl'ntiy Oil, Two mOnLh.~ latl'r, hI' was "",-,ond.gu"-'<Sing his system and
losing money, Whal happened?
Rex was a '"Cry intdhgent man wilh a 101 or education and traimng
In a technical field. fie had always laken pride In his intelligence and his
pror~'SSionat achieve"'en~s. Whil.' Re. luwd doing his "'arkel "-'Searcl' and
lean'ing huw to trade, Ilis favorite part of trading was the dc,'clop"'enl of
his system, With hL. aptilude ror leanting and his advanced schooling, I",
was well suiled fur Ihe pre]Jaration phase or his tradlllg career 1I0wever,
he ,",as not prepare<! to lrade every day, Rex thOUght Ite wanted to be a
trader But, in realtty, h~ wanted to b<- a I>crpelual system developer. lifter
six ",omhs or uetua) profitable trading, Rex was lxtred,
") feel like a "'indless monkey," he lan1entt'<J, "whu "in'ply pulls Ihe
IC"er when the signal tel'" hin' 10 pull it, Is this all there is to trading"-

"111'; nORlmOll C:RISIS

If yuu have bee" lrarling for any length of Hml', you have encounlerell
Ihe Boredom Crisis experienced by Rex. For a successful lrader, "'ho has
I 71. HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~OlIR'iE l f AS ~ TAADER

develop",. a working and prontallle ~yS\elll, bor",lo", ~a" easily t><'Come

Ihe mosl seriOU'l problem lhal is raero. If a lrader is 10 s"",i\"e Ihe bore·
dom crisis, he mU'l1 find "n,,"'ers thai work to the {ollowing questio"s:

• Ilow do you keep e"Joying your trading when ,t becomes rouUne and
prrdJctable?
• When boredom sets in, how do you continue to follow your ruJ<":'I?
• HOI<' ca n you ke<.'p fro'" sabotagin g you r "a<lLllg in onler to bring pas-
sion and excitement back to y"ur prof"""ionallife?

nil<: "1 \'I\IlK TKADf:K

The ",'erage person who llecomes a trader is anythlllg but average,
!'rople who art> allracled to lradin.o; ar{' ofl<'l1 highly mOli.'m"" 10 I><' suc·
cessful and 10 work hard, Traders lend to II<' in({'resled ill l<'Chllology,
," athcnlatiCS, sdenc,', and e<..'<Jllolllks_ They freq""nUy ha>'e 1Il0re energ,v,
"'ore (iri>'e, alld ",ore a",bitioll than the a>'crage (JCI'S<JII_ And oc>(;ausc the
average trader lend~ to be far n"lfe imeUigen! and beacr ... Juca"'<] than Ibe
average pers<III, he requirps 'nteU""tual challengps and stimulation 10 keep
him imerested in what he is doing.
Thai net>d for imdlcctual challenge and slimulation is whal often ~cts
good tradc", into trouble,
Highty educated pcople a", troin{><J (0" thillk, h> look fo' problelllll, alld
find (llcir sohllio"" by (juestioll'ng, ""proving, an,l changing. When th.,.;e
;ndi.;dual.l!eco",,, traders, lhey art' lurnl'd on by tile chaJll'nge or leanling
how the markets work. They read everything thl'Y {'an find about trading.
They atwnd seminars anrl'fmnerse themselves in their research. They love
the slimulation or developing a trading S)'Stelll and testing it until iI'S highly
cff<'Clin-, Thcy like to learn amI lo'-e to kC<'p ,mpfO.ing upon J)<'rfcction In
8hol1, they lo.'e to (inker_ Tiles<> thinkers brtollle pal1 of Iile g .... aI tink~ring
cla..." and whcn th.'y n'o,'e inlo Ih~ trading prof"""io", Ihey b"colllc I'n k.',
traders, fiddling with their systems and always toying to tnake them better_

So, whal is wrong with being II tinker. especially fora lrader? After all, is it
not II good dllng for II troder to I><' con-,tandy finding way" to impro"c his
trading? The shon anS"'eT is a qualific<l mayl><', It depends 011 whal hc is
doing and why . If he is in the dc,'clop,n"n, phase of his ,rad'ng, tillkerillg
ill a posi[i>'e (IS he ntakes a good lIystc,n beUer_ Rut, if a trader ill aetually
Th. Happy MDnh y
'"
trading, tinkering with a system is tbe perfect example ofd,e saying, -Don't
Ii . it if i! ain't broker· UMortunatdy, SOnl('on~ who tinkers ollen does SO
becau'le!o~ r.... 1s the need .
A ""rious problem an',,,,, for a \inker trader when he i8 not fixing, firl·
dUng, or improving. He is unhappy and becomes bore;:!. Just as a shark
must keep moving through the water to Ii,'e, a tinker trader becomes bored
if he is not adding .'aJue to what he d""" III nis daily life, non '{]oll1 for a
tin ker trader is a form of death , In ordt'r to fl'CI alive again, he must sIan
to rno~e onCe more. T hat nto,'ement for a trader in~ol,'es getting back into
the game or challenging his mind with tinkering. So, h~ ~wrts to change hl~
system and Si'Cond gtJl'Ssing it until he finally creates e"ough ha~()c In his
trading that he I,,,,, to staI1 all over again. In the wake or all thIS destruction,
he gets to reel the challenge that he misses in his boring, predictable but
highly profitable trading

The boredom problem for the intelligent trader is complicate;:! by an ad-

diUonaJ factor, Most N:lucmed people are condnionN:l to lin k tI' elf S<"lf·
",I1""1ll to their Inlelligence, and not just their passi.'" intelligence but to
thei r aeli"e intcllig~nee. So, if a trmJer with this background is not aeli"ely
USing hiS intelligence to tinker, he b<'gi,,~ to I","," his S<"rlSe of self_worth. In
fa<:t. since he prohahly rlefines hi,nSl'lf \l\!"<JIlgh hl. Intelligence, hl. ""II.""
of ... h" he is and what hI' has to contributl' will suffer ... hen he feel. that hI'
is n(){ using h .. intelligence.
&lr-cstl'CII1 i8 a nec""""')' ill,llredient for suce~ssrultradlllg oceaUS(' it
is th~ basis for self--confiderrc,-". Trade", rrCfiJ S<'lf--collfidence to stay d,sc,-
I'li"~d and focused as 'hey trade and they need eOllfidcllee to halldlc the
looses that are buil( illto their trading system. So, wherr a tillkcr trad"rstO]J~
Iinkl'ring, not o"ly d""" he get bored, he beglns to sabotage his system anrl
Slops tradll1g "'I'll because he loses ,-"onfidell,-"e.
So, ... hat is a bored and unhappy linker trader to do?

'I'IIF, II \ .... \ ' HO"l.:loW

TYadcrn ha,'e a lot In comm"n ,,'ith mhletl'S. The great challenge for a f"r_
mer athlete is to g,ve up competition when he is no longer able to "ompete.
Some retired athletes become so bored and despondent that they take up
drugs and alcohol or other S<"lf-destruclivc aet,,'ilies, Thei r sense of S<"lf is
""
so ;nvcstftl in tto ..;, phYSICality that th" y f,...l wonld""" wto.'n tbey 10" ion.o:e,
hav .. th .. 81>.....J. ('"dura"c", and strength UW they onCe had.
WI,;I,· SOm" .... Iired aU, lei ..... "..1r·dl,,<lruCl, "thers lind ways 10 COllSlruc-
hvply chan"el th .. ir skill. succe:ssfully into a n..w arena One way Is ro,
th .. ,,, to .. oach 011>", athletes, using th,,;, experience on th .. playing field.
Another "'ay is 10 use their competitive instincts to succeed in busi,WSll,
sal"", or another field where a high level of "'OIi\'alion is an lmponam at-
tribot ... Some lewn f<'train for .. nUrcly n .. w car,..,,,, and til .. " US<' the P<'r-
sonal skillsl.hcy !tonl'(l as alhMes to 8"""l'('(1 in I.heir ""w IICH
Using the retired UlloM" analogy, traders eM nnd wrOSln,"1 i,-c way8 to
r....:hann .. l their "eed 10 tinker that does t\()t ;.,I ..rf...... with Ih"i, trariing.
For I'xampl", tinker traders can:

• Always lie .... orking "n an allernalive syslem

• Illre "",ne"ne 1<, trade Iheir syswm .... hile they .... "rk "n a ne .... "ne
• Find a completely new outlet outside of trading 10 satisfy their need to
linker and be inldlcrtually challenged - such as designing a computer
Ilro,vam , laking a con"", in ad"ancc<l m«(h. or leammg a new language

An ailenwive 10 re ... lmnndin!l your necd 10 tinker is 10 bffome the happy

"'onkey, raU'er (ha" (he "nl'appy m"nkey. IllroPOSt"d Ihis d'oice 10 our
sclf·saboIagi"g trader, Hex. I" his mi"d. Rex had Ihe image of himself as a
person wh" nee<led to be improving "omething in "rder to lie happy. \Vhat
T had Rex d" wa., tn creale a new i,nagc of hi,nsdf in his mind.
The new pIcture ....as of a per",,,, who had accomplished Ihe tinker-
ing in the past. bUI now had pemnssion to follow h;'; rul"", Th;'; picture
co",,,,, with Ihe nndeT>ltandinll that the .... is a pri,e out the .... for following
his ",1'-'8. That prize is that he will be the I",rson who adds value whe" h,·
has mastered his t...:h"ique and call ,1St> his i"tuition as a neW mter. Hav·
;ng pem,l<;si"n 10 usc IlIIu;lion in hl<; Irading l~ a trea.~nre, ind...-..I, lI...:a ...."'!
il all"ws Rex the ability to ...."'! his mind again in a way thai l~ ~"'L~talllly
challenglllg and new each time, ilowever. he cannO! use the intuition filler
unl""" he has mastcrc<l his l.-chnique and mastered his own psychology
When Rex bffame oored foUowing 10;'; Irnding rules, he began 10 antic·
ipate signals or second gUt,&> them. As II re.;"Il., I'e ""t<,red tra<i..s 100 soon,
got oul of them 100 SOU". and, ge,,~rally. ,nuckt"d up his trading syst'·!JJ .
A system Ihat ....... making a ~ertain amount of money wa.~ sudrlenly only
achieving half of thaI «'tum . On~e Rex saw himself in a rlifferent lighl ,
as a person who had already done the n...:""",,1)' tlllkering. but ","!to harl
T~ Hoppy Mo~key 179

permission 10 follow his rul"" so that h~ could g~1 a great ,..,ward, he tx.gan
10 follow his rul"" again , Then, the reUl[O,.c~ment o[ his good beha'1o" was
th~ reward !.hat he could u"" his intuiti"e signals 10 tmde . S"dd~nly, trad ·
ing bt-calll" d'all"nging again_ The unhappy IIIonk~y had l>ccOlll" Ihe I'appy
mOllkey. III~idelltally, Rex's syst .. m is lIoW making "".. n ,no,.., money {j,an
lief",.., h.. ,eached the 1~,,,,,I"m crisis.
Another sugg""tion I gave Rex was to take a piece of graph paper with
large box"" and make a squarc so that I,e would havc th~ ' 'qui''alent or
approximately 110., numix'" o[ m.d"" he "'ould t"ke in Iwo momhs. Then , 1
had hi", draw a line do,,"n I h~ square fru,,' top 10 i.>otto", with each section
rep ........'nhng the p~ ....'entage of ''''tilllnl,,,1 ,.-ins and 10_'" l>a.sed on past
per[o,mance_lTL'jo" as a trader was 1<) ["II"w hls rul"" anti fill in the box ...
with a "W" or an "t " representing wilming and losing trad",,_ If he did hL'
job by [ollowing his rul"" anti putting a representauon or a win or loss In
each box, he would ha"c a '1sual rcpr('S('ntaUon of what was nceded [or an
owrallprofil.
WI",,, a trader has cO"'plet"d Ihe SlIUa,.., and tan hon""lly say thal he
took all of II,,, trad"", tI' .. n I,,, will know thai he is psycholugitally ready to
gu to the next 11'''1'1 "f mOnilOring an Intuitive flJt'" "n top ur his technique_
If he ha.~ not he'm aiM to d" thL~, il Lq time to ,-,unsider the possibility or a
trader's coach ur trading coach depending upon whether il is the syswm ur
the m,dcr that is nol working,

(;O\,U.U,IO\,

Horedu", is inevilable fur lrade,,; who ha~e bt't'n I rained 10 lI'ink and 10 tin ·
kN until something L~ perfect when they find themsel"es locke,l into trad·
ing a system and roUowing iL~ rul""_ Tinkering with ..",ne!.hing that work..
Iypically produc"" a string of I<'"s"" , Por many traders, a goud alternative to
tx.commg an unhappy, bored munkey can bto ruund In !.he process or redi-
recting tile enc® into som~!.hing lhat u""s it conslructively An c"~n bet·
Icr solutiun is to creale a ncw internal model that rNldlnes your rok, your
goals, and yuur reward ... This nt'w self.iUlage alluws a trader 10 feel gt>O<J
about folluwing his rul"". while allowing him tn be ~haljel\ged by adding
an intuitive signaL The result is a happy monkey and a successful trarler_

Po yi>l.q tile price ill /lIe belli">! in!1 1m' what YOIl ueed to be
su«cssll1l is less rosily IIW>1 payi,,!) if !if/e>' YOII
/uH'Cjaikd.
 11I\"I.lt~q

Shrinking from
Opportunity

PP{H1unily i.~ all around us. True, Ihere arl' t>CCMiu"~ ""hen it is chal·

O lenging to l,x;ate il ""hen nmditions have changed 0, Ihe supply ha.~

teml,orartly shrunk and the <:o"'p"liliun for finite resou",es I~'L.' dra·
matically ",creased. DUI, even in Ihe "'orsl of circulllstances. opportunily
is al""ays there w be found. SUlce a t,ad~r"s success depends upon find-
ing OppoM unili("S and maximizing tl,em , the probkm is ""rio"" if he or she
lost'!! the ability to id("ntify and PUI>IUC opportunity.
As ti"'e pass.. s, traders ufle[\ shrink frolll opportunily. no" main
reason .. that people tend to dl.like ~hange. When ..... e are yow'ger, change
i.. frequently linked to fun, excitement. and re ..... ard. ll" ..... e"e'. "ver time,
we eventually experience enough pain through change thaI .....e come to
associate change ..... ith pain rathe, than opportunity. As ..... e age. our bram
works hank, w keep us In 00\ Increasingly smallcr cOllofort zone while
protecting u8 [ru,,' cha"ge and the p",,"ible uppoM "nilies ... nd/ur pai" Ihat
CUll'" ""i(l, il.

Tu be 8ucc ....sful, ... trad .. r "'''''t cr~ale pallcn\S that ar .. reproducible. Th"""
l'au.enlS need 1<> t~",,,me so famiUar Ihal they can he fullowed automaL·
kally. JlISt like everyone els<> whu is human. a lrader does thl. t>ec.au.'Ie
our neurolugy is comfortable with panen",. We unconsciously reproduce
pauen" all day long: We blink our ~yes, our hearts ""al, our am,s s ..... ing
in uP1"",i(I<>n t<> uur f~'d when we walk, our bodi.'!! mow accordUlg w

'"'
181:

prroictabk pallCms, and so on. Th~sc patl~ms allow us 10 f(-"I nom",1 and
thai ~'-~f)'U';ng Os okay.
Por a Irad," to l>t: sUCC'-"'Sful, he ",uSI also cr~alc ;n hOs ~,isl~nCe on·
going p.~lIenls of I>eha\1or and thinking Ihal are u!lc<"','cious. The problem
for trade,.. L~ Ihal they at .., haw a bulli·in ~on tlict or paradox_ IVilhin their
roulinl', Ih"y nlU51 also have Ihe kind of Hexible thinking thai allo"'s Ihem
to a.\iusl to subUe changes in the markNplace and fluctuating conditio"s
whilc ....,ing op(}Ortunill"" Ihat othcrs mi""" If tins kind of flcxibility d",-""
nul cv-~xiSI with an ongoing routine, Ilw rnarke~~ wilileav~ a Irader l>ehind .

To mak~ Uti. paradox work , il is llce,,,.sary 10 cTl"alc a balanc~ bt-Iwcen Ihe

opposing foret'S of rouline and ftc , ibilily_ The Ix..., way 10 lI<-"<:onlplish Ihis
is 10 Inak" ('OllSCious choic .... in your life Ihat expand inlo areas thai are
oUL~ide uf your Harling. For I'xa"'ple:

• Onler new things fuJln the Inenu or eal new Iypes or food
• Take a lrip 10 a city or country that YIn, 1"",1' never '"isil""
• Read new malerials-no'"els if you read non-fiction or subjects lilat
you may haw nc''er consid"Tl"II like history Of philosophy
• Lislcn to music Ihal you do not ordillaril~ IIslcn to-j"-", cl"""ical,
<Jf><"ra, \"ew Ag~,I"dian ,,'usic
• Allend a "'""h"g Ihal repres.."nts Pt"Ople wil h who", yuu dun"' nun"ally
associale
• Take courses in ftelll~ of mud~ that;m> not as.."'>ciated "ith "'urk-~
classes, cuurses in SClencl' ur law
• Attend wurship !!,,,,.ices with a diffcTl"nl fcUg;on or S<'Ct
• Vulunlccr W wurk with handlcapp"d, dlsad>'anlagro, sIck, or elderl~
peupl~

• Joi" a look fu rce or 3 ,'u luntecr rescue squad

Any ncw activily Of challengl> Ihal Strelches yuur ;mllgi"at,un UJ""IS

"cw p.,,,,pectivcs that will hdp CT~a(e thc kind uf >'crsa\ilily in ~'uur U,ink·
ing Ihal will aU"", you 10 maintain that fragile but I'ver.imponant halan~e
in your thinking

ROkim I,\, 1"k.\l .. \(.

Traders gel trappe<! in Iheir patlenlS becallS<' Ihey become comfonable.

TI,,, old pall"nlS can b" ill filling and kad to Icm,i"al burro"m, but trade",
find theS<' discomforts acceptable becauS<' they are a part of a pattern that
is ""fc, predictabk, and SUft', It is , caHy fril(ht~!l"''': 10 ~xpand ocyond a
patt~n. beeaUS<' a n~'" discum furt nlay be C"I"" 'nu .... uncu",funablp than
lhp u ld one'S.
If a trader finds that he must stay in his cmnron zutle or predictable
panen\.. I" keep his trading rules, he must aL<;<> bec",,,e awa .... uf (~her
markets and anytlting new that IS happemng edueatiu!lally. If not. his uad-
ing roUlin~ will bc<:ome mo"ulOnuus 3"d predictabl~, At fiT>lt, thc routine
of tradi,,": was n eit",..: bccauS(' thc trading ilM'lf was ncitmg. Nuw, the
act ivily has beeu,ne "'-' roul';"e fhat I.he cntoliuns and feplings lhat previ.
o us ly made Irading a pa.""iun art: "0 lo"ger p resen~ Withuul Ihe gl>l>ll k-cl·
il\g.~. a trader ha.~ a tendency tu saI><>tag.. his trading by cn ,ating excItement
tlmmgh acce pting increa.<;W[ risk.

Trading bc<:umNi ajuy fUf succNlllful trad~", bc<:auS(' uf thc ..:<><><l fttlings
created in the beginni"g: The AAtisfal1ion uf beeumi"g a trader whu had
nl a.~INed the subje<:1, c<eawd II,,, trading rok'S, a"d ICan'"'l1 lu be discI ·
plined. Tht'S<' pusitive feelings were all e""ential part of the original pal.
Ieno . Iwnically, the one palten> tt\.~t ",,,sllraders t'venlu.~lIy fOl1:e out or
Ihei r roUline is thai good feeling. Sometimes, the panern "iU change when
a lrader is in ii, jusl like a physical phenomenun will change when il is
obs<'r"Nl . Ironically, Ihe only way to rl'tam the pallern of good f~dmllS m
yo ur If'Jding is tu cunlinue to 110 the &~me things 111"1 c realt:tl lh ~ pallen,
originally. In ulher wurds, you muSI build et'angc inlu Ih~ patlen •. Yuu "'uSI
c.ontinue 1<>:

• Conduci periodic revi~ws lu ;mpwve your lradmg rules

• Develop and expand your nwmal and psychological capacities
• Cuminu~ 10 sm<ly th~ markNs and Pl'rhap" den"l"" ne ... syswms

T h,· p"lwricnce of regai ni ng Ihe g<><><l [l.".ling> fro ", an uld pallen, call
t... ",,"'pared It) riding a bicycle. [n "nlel' 1.<> ride II. ynu had tn I..anl I"
balance. You slruggled wilh Ihe process until you finally unde"'luud and
mastered iL Once you "·ere successful, you were filled with an o"erwhelm-
U1g S("IS<' of acco m p~shment and sat,sfaction As you PNlaled, ynu w ~ re
I""king at the grou"d and evcrythin g a round yuu wilh a "e'" senSe uf ap·
preciatiun. e . cilcmcnt, and cmpuwpm ,,·nl . Suddenly, yuu app roached the
lake and saw il a.. iffurthe first Ii '''e. \"Oti ... ere filler! wilh all the g,><'" feel.
ing.~ that c"me rmm tI", newnet<.. of !he e~l"'riel\ce. [I ut then , lime pa...ws.
,S< HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I NC ~OlJR'iE l f AS ~ TRADER

You h"v" long sinee masle .... d halancing on YO"f bike and have ridden i1
eveIY day for years. The new""", I><>comes sameneS/!. AI a point. you SlOP
seeing the lake and Ihe \waUly surrounding il . You stop recognizing the
routine. The cx(><'.kncc of rid;n..: Ihe bicycle bc<::o",,,,, Ihe big picture in-
slead uflhe intimate details. It is the details that create the feelings of joy.
""(isfaetion, " , Ci(cnwnl , and anticipation .
The ""no" principle appli"" 1(1 I rod;"g. If you " 'ani 10 c rcalc I he good
feelings thai Cnme frum I:>eing a good trader, you mUSl work "n th .. pruces..
of trading and "reate tI,e palwm of detail that supports you being a good
trader and following your rules. Like riding your bike, once you c .... ate the
pattern of following you r rules, you h,,>·c ttl" pallem of the dNails. Without
r,.",talizing the )mUem wilh Ih~ delails Ihal crcal~ good f('<'Iings, you are
len wilh I he part of y(}u Iha( will want to ""boUtgc your rul..s 10 St·( ll1t>St'
feelings bad:_

TI"'~ IWUK 'ro UprOHTL\iI'I'\ '

WIIl'n you are fujjow;ng yuur trad;ns rules, yuu will have days whm'
yuu simply knuw Ihat certain trades are belter than othe",. You develop
thIS knowingness over lime from experience in Ihe markets and from
your melhod(}log,y. Til;'; knowingness is Ihe k"y 10 oP<'ning Ih" door to
great<'r opportunity. This is your intuitive Indicator, which d0C5 not T{'placc
your (,..;h"ical i"dicators. It giVe\! you an additional indicator (hat is "cry
powerful.
Iflrading be<:,,""'S so ruuline Ihat you It" longer feel H~ilemelll f(}r Ihe
ruuli"e its£'lf, you will miss Sfflng various possibililie\! wilhin each oppor-
tunity. You will be hiking down Ihe same old path. unable 10 Sff Ihe lake
and Ihe d~lails of Ihe 8C('n(' before you , 1I0w~\'~r , If you aT{' cOI'stamly rdn·
wnling your lradlng wilhin Ihe roulln(, 10 k""p up Ihe good f""Ungs, you
will know wh"n (hat shade become\! ligh(eror darker Md you will be able
to d;stingul~h the "I'lll,rtlmll;"" from Ihe pothol"" ,

STOprlI.D <\T nn: IUtoll

The P"<>ple " -h,, "n~e Iradl'd on the HuOfS of Ihe F.xchange. were Hcil",1
aboul trading. Y"". Ihey had the same--old. same-{)Id routine to foUow, and
they had to deal wilh Ih" damage 10 Iheir ,'oices and health. BUI, Ihe ex('lIe-
m~n\ of th~ tmdins itself was always prCS<'n\. Th('n, the PIts chan.o:~'<l and
(h~ quallly of Ihal np<-'ri~ncc also chall~~d . Many lrade", held onto whm
o"~'" w(lS and did not atljUS( to wlta( now is_ They atten'pk'd 10 attach the
Sh,,-nk ln9 from Opportuni,y IS5

old thrill or (he winner to a diminiSh ing number "f Cm'troclS. Thei r (ong-
,,,;talolished trading paU~n'" re<ju(re<lthem tf> trade a ~ertaln "u' rlber of
contracts and take a certain amount of risk in "n:I~r to fe~1 the feelings and
enjoy the process, They were suU trying to make the trades happen when
th~ opportuni("", were no lo".o:cr there and they were no( H"xible ~nough
to a<ijw;t to tl\e,. 'W"" e",iron",ent Th""" "Id H()Or traM", e"cntually b.,.
gan raking signif(cant ("""""S.
Tlte prublems multipli ...1 f"r II,,,,,,, traders when they staned trying to
work their old trading "ystcn~~ wititin the new markl'tll. Tlte new ",etl,uds
"f trading were vel)' ooring to them , They could "" longer reproduce the
g<>CJd feelongs through the panern "r detmls in their trading routines. In-
8t"ad the only way t" reprodu ce thOIS(' g<>Od fc~hlWl wi(h (he excitement
ror trading was through acccpting larger and largcr risks.
In the lIt-ginni ng or Iheir (rad ing cart"'rs, the .'cteran noor traders ,nay
haw "t""",lloy taking on 10 ~"ntracL' at. a time . As they built their port_
r"lio", they may have taken "n 300 contract. at a time within n,,"n_~1 risk
parameters. Under tI,e new system, they were forced back to the k>\'el of
30 to 40 contracts and c"uld no I"nger experience the same thrill they had
relt wh~n thel' had uriginally raised IhIC",selV{'s lu that level. nus process "r
attenuatiun ,~ vel)' mucto like the process or b.-co",inll h()Okc<l "n addicti>'c
dn'gli. T hp nL~h un Ihe ",ay 01' lu largpr dU8<-"S cannut lit- ....... xperipncffi un
the wal' up tbe t<e<:<.>Ild time because the nervous sJlSlCn, is already set to
relea.'!!e tl,use 1,leasure..,reating ~ta endorphins at a mud, higher level.
5<.>, in defeat, thel' lert the trading lI()Or m,d tried to trade on computers
using the .. old embedded scl\S()l)'-bascd inputs-the roar of the crowd, the
taste "f tI'e grease paint- as their ""u.rc~ of tradinll s,gnals, They did not
understand Ihat tI, ~ sc"so')' inpUI f"'''' !I,p ~...,mpulpr "'as "aslly d ilTerpnl
fm" , (hp ""''','),), inpot fro n' \lIp II()Or. And they cunl inu ... llo Iry tu make
de<:isiol\1ll ("'''' sen1ll"1)' input that n" l"nger exL~te<t

IUSC: \KIU"C~ 'I'I"'~ CU ." ",'T'I'I'~ K"

In the rubble of their "Id patterns and "'utines were eleme nts that these
old ft()(}r trade", stil l nec{kd to ... Ialll ro. success as d""k tradc"" ~Iany
of II,,,,,,, old routin"" WeTl' necessary to signal the ir brains that thcy were
.... ady 10 make ,"unPy in t.he ,.. arkpts. Pur " xan'p le, tht,y nttded to h"ep
getting up at the SlIme (ime eaeh "'on'ing and dr",,~ing I'rort'1;O;ionally rur
work by putting "" a tradingjackN and tie . These <tL'<Ciplines are harder to
r"uow ,,'hen l'ou are facing a computer monit"r and "ot a gNJUI' "f your
peers. Nevenhe iess, they are imponant anchors. And these u-aders at""
needed to ha" e the same routine "f rull"wing the mark et.
UUi

Th~ pan of tbdr roUli"~ tbat th~y w~". not changing was the decisIon-
,,'aki"g proc~'&i_ Th~y w~re trying to n,,~ opportunity w!t~re U'e .... was
nolle i.>ecau"", tI'e previous roles 110 10llg~r applit>tJ . Woul~ t!t~y I'a,'~ the
phy~ical slamina, th .. ,,,,If..,onHrlenc .. , the capital, th .. l»lych"I"gical t"ugh.
ne ..~. anrl tI, .. flexihility to dl<t<;anl tloat old patte n" create a new one, and
su",;ve long enough to understand the ne'" sN or trading rul",,? Some dld
alld some did lIot, What was the difference? The determining factor is the
courag~ to stay Oexibl~. to pusll the hOUlldari"" of tto""" old patl~ntS and
tu ace I.hing> i" neW au<l uni4ue ways_

( :0 \Ie:I .L S 10 \'
Regardl ..... "fthe changes that a trarll'r may face in the matka~ <>rtite way
ill which he trarles, he " 'ill eventually find himself either avoiding oppor-
tunity or i.>e;ng blind tu it if he d""" not continue to stretch Iu" "omfon
wne Tmd~rs nCC<i to b<- flexible 10 handl~ change and ace things in n~ w
wa)1! ill order to corrrctly perce i>'e opponullilY, Instead or shrinking from
uppurtunity l>e<.:auS'o· il r~p"""'nts cha ng~ an~ discunlfurt, (md,·rs " ..... d to
cun(jnue tu lake fron' U'~ir old pattenos whal is ILSeful and discardlhe rest.
They n.,.,.-] to bUild Into th,_ pauenl.~ the Im><; ..... of ongoing "",dilka.
tion and the expansioll or experience that allows them to see what works
Oil the ever..,hanging playing field or the markets, The ... Hexible pattenlS
will aUow a trdder to continu~ to fed th~ good feelings of satisfaction and
ncitem~nt for th e proc~ss of trading. Thes<' good rct"lings will lIot only
prewllt a I radN fro", sabotaging hl~ trading resulls in order tu feel ~Xdle­
ment, they will k'~p the dour to 0Pl,urtunily wide oP""_

Wlwn .!IOU gi1:6 you,. n6uI"OIogy "IXI/ tem of lww fofocus

amll"l'"J)t'fl/ itf,.el/lumlly, I/ou lvillfi nd OW/focus lvill llum
become Ihe P<111i of leust re~isl(j lice.
 111\""1(,10

Drill to Focus

he abililY to focus in Ihe midst of tum.oil and emol1ona] stress is an <'S-

T ""nllal in I)('rfomla",,~ n"ellence for alhlC!"" and Irade",. 1I0we>'c,.

a "''lior obstacle .0 focus is Ihe infinile dislractions Ihat lie In wail like
s.~boIpu"'. Por a world ·class gyn"~"l.St IlCrfonnillg in frunt of a live audi,,"ce
of Iholl"""'.18 and a telpvision audipnce of billions, the dist.r;)c'.iolls '"ggi"g
al hi.~ perfonnruwl' Il'vei are no more ""I'm·helming than thl' di.~trac.tiol\'l
sum,unding a trader who is making tradins d"d~i'>I\.~ t!\al c.ould ultimal~ly
bankrupt him.
Li ke lbe gymnast, the IrdMr is struggling with the powerful <'motions
offear and antidpalio" that acrompany jl("rfomlallce. And like the compe-
lit iOll noor in gy"'"Mtics, tI'e trading arena Co",es with i~~ own fair sharc
of e,,,·iruru"cIIl.;)1 distracholls M wdl. T he t radN ","s1 contcnd wilh pl'olle
c.all~.
infomlal;"n o,·"rload, family :md fri~n,l~ who interrupt. the refrig~ra.
tor Ihat beckons. and that incessant , loud, nagging inner voice Challer that
de/in"" and second guesses e,·cry action or dccision.
One of the most demanding of all tl,e Olympic competiUons IS the
me,,·s all-around gymnastic event. Pauillamm. an American gymnast, was
lead i ng in I.he fourth rot.(uion of Ihp Con' petition whpn hp II,if<St"<J l,iS (Ii".
IIIounl rroll' tjop vaul( alld nearly plowed inlo thp jlldg~"S. This ",isW.ke
d"'!,!,cd him 1" 12'" pla~1' in the c"mpeWiun. Feeling thal he had nothing
to I""", he simply focuscd on [,," performance on the remaining apparatus
and complet ... lthe final two even'" with nearty perfcct routines. /lis effon
put him back in r",,( place .
A young American fem"le gymnast nanwd Carly PaU<"""," losl her ft>-
c"" aud rnade a slight ,ni8W.ke in one or her l,erfo nnallCes in t.he tpa",

'"'
os. HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I NC ~OlJR'iE l f AS ~ TRADER

""'"pew,;",,. The ,,,,,ull was a {'a.«earle ,,( ml<takl'S as ~he and her Ie",,,·
mates st rayed from their course, Instead of eamUlS the gold me<lal, a ri-
val team, the Romanians, coU<'Ctf."d Ihe top prize. The difference ",as the
Romanian ({'am, whIch "'''"'' {'wnly matched lfl stott. talent, ",,'-cr 1""'1 fo-
cus and made n" "nstak<'S,
nays lalcr, early Pai(crson CU"' llelt:d agai" ill (t,,,
;ndividual w",n",,'s
all-around ,,>'cnl. A-s a w"rld·cla,;,> COlllpclilor, she was able IU pul 1('1' mis-
takes of thl' previous {'umpHilion behind her and foclIs "" the d,allenge at
hand . The result was that she was ableto win the gold medal from her chief
nval, the Russian PI-;"''' dONna and world champion, Svetlana K1wrkina.

1'111': Sm:Rt:T "ORULI , \ ; URII .I.

For many years "ow. J have studied Ihe art of fo<;us amllhe I",ople wh"
ha"e maslere<i it in an effon to create a model for others to follow. A!J
a sucres/! coach. il became dear to me that the most sueees/!ful people
were Ihe indhiduals "'ho had leam~'<l to focus and were willtn..,; to disci·
pline themselws to stay in this exceptional mcmal slat(" of eoncl"ntrmion.
A!J a cuach. I ha,·c d~~~lop,-'{l a lra;ning rUUlin" for I.rad~rs!o hclp Ih",,, lu
dc~dop alld ",ain!a;n (I'c;r focus. Tu nw.ke i! easy fur Iradcrs 10 .... "'cm·
her, J have outlined !.hL~ training roulin" ;nto an acronym, DRill., which
perfectly reflects Ihe """"nee of Ihp pxprdse. lie ... is Ihe training drill fur
de"eluping focus;

• O- De , ·oll .. information. If yuu want \Jj chOOll<" \\"h(",(" 10 aim yuu,

focus, yuu ",ust give yuurself a platfu"" uf knuwledge . Wilhout a solid
bal;e uf infurmaliun , the Spal'" will filt UI' wit h fcar and uncertainly.
• ' - Re !H' t ltl"rl . You must repeat "ver and o,'er Ihe a~lio,~~ and sirate·
gies Ihal you plan \Jj implement so lhal il Decomes a pan of your neu·
rological system and pan of your dunking. It has to be in your muscles
and the right word>; han- 10 be in your mind and the passion has 10 be
in your heart . The ]'''''''lOn will come from Ihe repelJlion of the riJ!ht
actiun.
• ' - lIJu,n lnate a n d Ign ite with Inten tion. You must iIlumina!e and
ignile the en",[('y centers uf your body. \'ou do this with another
"r_lntention. To create lhis light and energy, focus on the line of
e nergy from the middle of your fowhead \Jj Ihe trunk of your body.
As you dIrect your allent,on to this source of inner ener[('y, you will "
(will as in furce ur dcwrmination) lu ligh t up as if il w~rc a slraight
lightning «xl.
Drill 10 FocII' 189

• I.- I,d go, Once you lul'"e create<! your foundallon of knowle<!ge and
toa"e ig"il~'{1 your pa!;sio" th",ugh repeti(io" a"" i"' .. ntio", you "'''St
tet go. If you tl)' to ton trot Ih~ p",,;ess al Ihis puint, your " .. u",lugi.
cal system ....ill begin tu c.ha"ge the roUline by adding steps lhat we ....
initially nul there . Fur exalllple, adding a negatiw .,ep ..... o"ld l"f'Suil in
negalive emotions .
• L-Your i.asl ""rrorma n ~e does not con nt-. If yon ..... on in your last
(l<'rformancc or if you did tt,e besl thm you possibly could hav(' in your
last performance, il docs not count, 110 lei il go, If you I'-"'t in your
"ot""
I(L~I perfun"anc .., it SI ill not count. If you II)' 10 ,,'ak .. up for Ihe
pre";ou,, I""", all you will do is Crt';)1 ~ "egal i"e though IS. The l>asl ,,"'-"<
nol exl.t. The only thing that (;ount.. l. thi. perfurman<:f', where yuur
focus L~ nuw.

This DFlIlJ. is a way for traders 10 rememll<'r how' 10 keep on Ihe right
(><Ilh. It is also the same DRILL thm Olymp,c mhleles have traine<! wilh
since Ih"y Were "el)' young. Pro," (I, .. time they ,,"'er their chosen sport,
,I",,,... young alllicies are immers...d in its cu l", re an" history. They st"dy
the lalesl t{'<;hniques and t{'<;hnulugies until tllPY have ill' eneydOllf'<lic uu·
defS/anding of everylhing that is part of "lUI related to their sport . Then,
they sP<'nd long hours every day reP<'ating Ihe moves that fom1 the basis
of thdr ";orld·dass p<'rfommnc<", s.o the required "''''·cs are etched inlo
their neurology Finally, in one of the m'-"'I recent training technololli"",
tll"y are trained in II'e art of '''c''t.~1 imagcry an" ",~'{lila[.ion. This IlSyei''''
logical lraining all""-8 Ihem to han,ess their "'cntal e, ... rgi~'S while Quieti"g
Ihe mental ,:hauerthat tries to dl~trac.t them.

1'1IF. f, ,\SIF.S1' P\H 'r OF 'rI"'~

IJRIU .rrllF.
II-\RUF.ST P .\H 'I' 011 '!'1m UHII.!,

The easiest pan of the DRllJ. for most tradpr.;; is Ihe first part-Del'ouring
the infommtio~ about tmdmg, Becoming an cxpert In the markf'I8, read"'ll
('wrything: on the shelv",., and df"'ciopmll an ('ncyclopedic knowledge of
tl'" netd i"""I,'",; a greal ("O"""il'"e'" or "n'e and cnNgy. HUI , rur many
of the I""-'Ple who go into l.r-"";ng, research and M affinitY rur 1...:1"'icaJ
fiei<l. are seco",1 nalure tu them . They f",,1 co ",fon.able S('atM at a desk
or ~omputer reading al);.lUt doallenging malhemati~aJ c"ncept.~. This is ex·
ciling for them, It is als.o romp!ctely risk free. There is a tremendous emo-
lional payoff for Ihis group of (rade", in (he learning phase of the DRILL.
Some Irad~", oc'Comc s.o romfortable in this phase thai U,ey lIe"er rcaUy
I !til

move mW Ihle hard pan of lrading, f01l0"'ing Ihdr sy>Illem in Ihe facie of
polc"hal loss,
Tt,~ .... a .... lrad,.", who ha,,~ a lough !JIIlC wilh Ihe leami"g pan or Ihe
DRILL For Ih .. m, 11,.. ""ry P.~" Ihat l~ the .. asil'Sl for many Is the haml'S\
pan uf all , Tu make maUl''' wurse, a fair pml,,,n;,,,, of these Harle .. are
going mW trading for Ihe wrong .... ason. They crave excitement and think
that !fading is the pot of gold, the place of easy muney to 1>0> gained with-
oUl <'ffor\. These tradcrs arc essentially gamblcrs and, with luck, Ih.,y arc
washed out ,'cry soon.
Tt'ere a .... al&> traders for whom s.:;hool was ne"N a happy pIal"". Of·
te", th ..y are not techn"I(>&i~aJjy oriented. However, some ...... highly intu·
it;"e indi"idual~ who have the pot .. ntial 10 make gl"<>a( traders if Ihey are
willing to wugh it oul and do the studying that IS necessary If the D part of
the DRILL is lough for ltoem, the gt>Od news is that the rest of It may tum
oUl 10 be easy
Repelition can lun, out 10 be Ihe hank-sl pan for SOmc lrad,."" ''''IJe-
cially th""" who loa,'''' enle .... d tI'e Iidd as powntiaJ g,~rnble"'. If you a ....
looki"g for excitement, the a~1 "f having 1<) .... I"'al a process over and over
again may ""quire far t()U ,,,uch paU"nce and delayed gratiOeatio" for y"u.
Fur traders who lack iMcr discIpline. practice IS strang" and I"sile t"r-
nwry. BUI withuut reD<'tillun, II tradN is likdy lu stop fol lowing his rules
when Ihe pr"""u,.. IS on. It IS 'lellCtition Ihm eau",," an Olympic mIMI .. to
1>0> able tu perfonn a difficult ma"cu'W when he Is COnlllCting I" front or
a TV audicnce of billions. It is also repetitiun that ea" k~"'j) a trader frum
backtracking on hi. system whell his m"ney l~ on the liue.
S"me traders are comfortable "' ith repptilio". They may ha .... a hack.
gruund in musk ur sports, where they hav.. long experienff in th" worid
of practicc, practlCC, and more practice, They may be highly discipline<!,
makinll lhis Ihe easiest part of the DRILL for Ihlem,
TI'e Ilnnl Ih ...... parts uf the DRILl, igniting and ill umlnaling yuur en·
ergy, lett ing gu ur tl'e jJrut"CSS, a"d leUing gu urn,,, IMtlrade are Uot, t'ard.",]
pans or the DRIU. f"r traders who have not worked on th .. ir psychology,
These traders have uu experiene" in the practice of managing their mental
and emotiunal energi.",. They may a1su be saholaged in tltlS effon by Wl-
r('SOlvled {'mutional issues from thdr pasl thm continuc tu undem,inc tI'cir
drUM lu succeed . Oft"n, th"M" a,e the very lraders whu are (bc m0i5t rc-
~iSla"l IU working un lI", ir psychulogy. Their uwn wea kness is evident in
their f"M of appearing to be weak.
For !.raders who have be.'" w"rking on their psychol()gy atuVor ha ....
been expl"ring oth"r touls of personal expallSion such as meditation and
r"laxation techniques, the lasl three parts ur th" DRILL may prove lu be a
walk m w,e park. Letting gu IS a k'ehniquc Ihal is widely practiced in the
,,'edilation artll and is also a pan ofmos! furms uf psychulogical cuWlsding
Drill fo focus I ~ I

or lheral>i~ ~ , Focusing energy is also a part of many spiritual practices such

as yoga and prayer,

Many of the gr<-a' fommlas in life, from g,,-'at piz"" dou,o;h to a great mar·
riag~, ha,'c a St"erel i"gredi,·"t. Without t.h~ St'<.:ret i"gred'~"(., "0 al"ou"t of
recipe <luplicaho" ",ill "'ork_ Often , ]"'OfII~ art' ,"'a",ar~ of Ih~ ~~islt""te
of the se.;ret ingre<lienl or they take it f" r granted_ Sometimes, they with·
hold telling "Ihers aho ut the ""Cret ingredient for fear that their ~ucc"""
",ill disappear by sharing the secreL
In the case of the DRILL, there is one secret ingredient that all traders
muSt ha' -c for il 10 work reprdless of t!leir past experi,"nces and proc ....·
itiffl . T hat sec ret i"gr~dient is con"nil"'~nL As lh~ uhl Baltic saying goes,
-Nuthing chang"" if nol hing changes_' !Jul, nol hing changes ,f fhere i~ nO
cu",mitm"nl 10 change_ The DR ill. will e reate the nl'f'<lett ",onl/'nlum for
InaximUl n positive d,at , g~ ,n a trader's life_ [ have give" this DRill. fonnula
10 eoun!less traders [n m,e fom, or another. Some oflhem have taken it and
made it work 80well for lhem that they are now 80me oflhe mosl succ..,.,..
fultraders in tltc field. [ ha"c also given il to lraders who have r",led to Ii,·c
up \U Ih~i r polenlial.

• Tlwy st'~ all of Ihe rea'lO"sthal it can"ul wurl< for (I, .. ", .
• They find ",ays to sabulage their "rrorn;.
• Theyeomplain and make exCUS<'S,
• They only trnplement Ih~ paru of the DRill. that are easy for them.
• They practlCC Ihc DR ILL ..-itlt half the .. heart,
• They practice the DRILL half the time.

Whal is missing for Ih('S(' lac kluster trade.,. is thdr commitment 10

Sue1.;ess_ Unfortu"a1<"ly, "0 one Can giw you a "'agical fonnula for being
e" ",mlUe<I_ Coml"itment e omes fmm <lef!P " -itlli,, a p<' ",un . Once again,
the Olympic athletes who t"ok our hreath away a. till')' perfonnNl mirac_
ulous fealS of strength and agility all shared thaI same secrel ingredienL
They could newr reach their le'-el of perfonn""c~ without making a wtal
eommilmem to their spon and to wi ",ling.
If you wanl to commit to practlemil Ihe DR ILL but are questioning your
le\'('1 uf cun" n'(n,,·"t , yuu might as k yuu"",lf II,,· fo ll uwing qu estions:

• Am [ ",illing 10 foll"..- a discipline every day ..-ithout fail?

• I[ow dL<eiplinffl am ]?
1"2 HRETCHIN{; ~ND EXP~ND I N{; ~OlIR 'iElf AS ~ TAADER

• Whal I~'\S
It,,,,n my hL.t",)' of foU" ... ing a di ..:ipli"e?
• II " ... nmch d" I ... ant w succ~ed as a trarlN? Whal am I wiUing 10 do?
\\'I\al would I be willing to gi\'~ up?
• Ihw I already formed an """ape plan in CaM' of fa;lur~?
• Am I planning for failure? Am r afraid of success?

TII~ 110"",,1
anSWers (0 (IIest' (IU .,,;ljOI\8 w in giw you a good id~a of IIow
{'ommiued yuu are and " 'hal kind of SUcCf'S.~ you ... ilI have in follo ... ing
Ihe DRII.J.. If yuu can see thai your level of commitment L~ h, .... you may
... am to do some serious soul-searching abuut your real gooJs in life If you
dlsco.-er that your I~wl of eommilment is high. then DRIll. away!

( ;0 , 'I ;I .L S II) ~

F"r trode'" wh" ... anl to SUl"(;ee<.i. (lie .... is muell to iJt' Ican't"<! aoou( focus
fro,,, Olympic athlet""_ F"cus allo ... s tI,em to keep their eyes on the prize
through t.he c""dUSion of the <:ornpetilio", The grt'at 3"'year.. , ld Ilra>.ilian
distance runner, Vandenei de Lima, was "" his way to wi,ming the gold
medal in the marathon when a violent onlooker tacklt"<! him a"d dragged
him into th~ nowd. Dc Uma managed to escape his attackN amI regain
his focus, Somehow. he got bim&'1f back into Ihe ra<:" and finishNl thi rd
lu can, (he bron,,, "wdal. Stic king to a IlRIIJ . is what ,,'ak.,,; it possibl"
for world.class atldeu.s ami lrade.,. 10 stay focu.""d in tlw face of extreme
distraclion.~_ Our DRI!.!. provides a c<,ml<,itment to building a fou!Ula\io" "f
k""wledg~, consislRnt repetition, lhe d'"-,,,lIon of energy, and the practice
of lelling go "f the futu .... out<:ome ami everything Ihat has happened in
the past.
 p\llr\

Modeling Top
Traders
l1u~ heart is /lw /widge Illat leads to a ,;/ale of
I/Ie exlraordimHY.
 III\""",II

The Heart of a
Master Trader

ver the years, many people have asked ifb""oming a Ma.';(~r TTader

O IS something that you can devdop, Just like in any fidd where mag.
tery is sought, Ih" ... a ... (I""", exc.'ptional indhiduals who S<'Cm to
be bonl wilh it or to Ilave had the good rO.,,,n~ to be born into it. flowever,
o"e i"'lIofUlnt characteri.stk Ihat ",ah'S SO"'t""e who acllievt>S greatness
stand out is hearL
So what is Ihi.<lhing called heart? It is :

• liaving enough burnIng desire to break Ihrough all personal hmitauolls

• lla';"lllhe S<'nsili';ly to know how 10 balancc b ... aking Ihroug,h your
limita(iol\S wit IIoul ph~'skally alld e"'oIiol~~lIy breaking dow"
• fla,-ing ellough ."urage '0 Slmld up to all HIe """pie who are agail\St

, '""
Taking Ihe kind of risks thai few w(!Old dare tu take
~al~ulatl'd
, GOIll! against others when they say Ihe task IS impossible
• Ik>ing willing 10 sacrifice almost anything 10 adlieve Ihe desired goal
• &illJl willinll to conquer you"",lf
• Recogni"ing that ~trellgths musl be Imp"",,,,,, UllOn and weak""""""
IIOUSt be l,,"'pelo.s.~l~d for or overconW allli lunll'" into greater
stre"gths
, N(>1 alluwing ex~u.""", good ",asolls, or logkal explanation.< tu ke<>p
you from your goals
I "I. MOOEliNG TOP TRAD£RI

T!'~n Ih~ quesliun Ihal shuuld be IIskt"d is: "Can yuu d~vdup the h~a"
of a lrader, or is II !<um~ mysr.,rious gifl Ihat l~ giv~" 10 a luc~y few'>"
ClI't:unL.ranc"", ""reri~nce, s~ill, and talent rlo nl.~ke a difference In
having heart, M051 skills and talents can be developed and some circum-
slances and e~perie"ees can be created. BlII hean cumes from a cumbina-
liun uf Ih{'S(' Ihlng.. and Ihen gON< a good rlislance ocyund IhaL
LocI's e~plorc Ihr,.., situatiuns Ihat ereale Ihe e",ironment Ihat -",,<,ds
Ih~ h~a" uf a ,"asl~r .

. , H \-1) \-111 \,f;"

It is certainly easier to OCcomc a baseball slar when yuur father w,," Cal
Ripken, Sr. Cal Sr.'s passiun fur waching the "raft uf b.'I.S<'b.~1I raIl dh"P a"d
his knuwledge was pas,,,,,,,,1 U" tu his so" Cal Ripken, Jr., ""hu l>eca"'~ II
BasebaU llall of Famer by redefining Ihe p05ition of shon..%JP,
Cal Rip~en, Jr. i~ known as baseball's a11·time Irun Man. Ue wa.~une of
only seven players in the hislU», of the game tu anlaSll.jOO home runs and
3,000 hits in IUs car""r. In 100:;, R,pken broke Lou Gehrig's record forcon-
&'Culi"" games played R,pkin'8 mark of 2,1332 cOllsccul,w games played is
likely lu "nd"", for general iuns to "o"'e.
Huw aboul II,,, Furbes' fan'ily dynasty" It is """ainly ~asi~r to b,,<.;O"'"
a mastf!r of publl.hing when your father wa.. Malcolm Forh"".
There are many p<~>ple on Ihe financial speaking ci,""uit who I"J'1'o"
humbly to ~ master traders. They might have had" lime orglol)', bUI now
Ibey arc only as,o;ood as Iheir adwrtislng, Then , th('rc arc IhOS<' lra(i<"rs
like Chuck, know" by only a fcw oth('r PN>pi<" for Iheir top sk,lIs as !raMrs
and who Ii k~ it (hal ",'ay. Chuck 's falh~r and unci" w(,re both highly Skilk'(l
speculalors and Ihey fed Ch"ck with Ihe golden spoon uf trading mastery,
While Chuck heard many hOlTur Sluri"" allOul traders failing in the mar·
keL~, hl~ fo<:us wa~ on how ea.y it wa. 10 earn a goorlli"ing a~ a trader sim·
ply b~ following his uncle's and his dad's lead. Chuck became e,'en more
succ('ssfullh"n his family and was rt'Spccl('d for king gen,' fOus with both
his knowletl.e;e and his time ,
T!'~re are ",,,ny fa,,,ilies who off,-r """"ring ~,"'iron"'e"~~ anti ha\'e
Ihe ",,,,,,,8 and d,,,,i,... 10 8uPJIOn Iheir child",n to bt".:o ' ''~ nlMI.,,,, al any-
thing they want to pursue. However, thiS ,1""" not gum"nt"" "",:epti<>nal
success. The spark of ,..,Iendes.. ,I"",,.., ha. to he igl\itNi fr<lln wilhin the
indi,iduallo achie,'e Ihis top perfom1ance, And even this spark is no guar-
ant,.., for ,o;rcatn'-"SS. Like the sollg says in th(' musical Dflm" Y",, ~ces, -r a
GOlla Havc Hean.. ·
Th. H.a,1 of 0/.1,,,, •• T,adu 1~7

l' IU~ \1I\'ll l' U~ I , n

The second set of cIrcumstances that create an environm~nt fo r lipan and

masU'ry comes fro m thore who owrcom~ tr~mcndous adw",ity fla"lng
",ha, it "'k~'!I to conqucr exceptionally difficu l, d rcums'anc.", gives you
,he ,'ndurance to cunqUN yu"",,-,tf and [>l'(;ump a ''' aster.

r sa", the mo\ie S<>a lJi.",uil , " 'hic h is a true ~toTY about how .,,,'era! p"ople
and onp horse combined their efforlS to create a champion. To make this
happpn, th~y had to be in the right place at the right lime, experience ""on-
derful triumphll, face gr~at difficulties, and mak~ unusually risky cho;".",.
All of thc m facC{[ >(reat ad"c",ity and each of th~m dC"dopcd the heart of
a winner.
They also had the "nique gin of being able to ' ....."'gn;>.e the heart ;n
ea~h ,Jlher. Til" horse', o.mer lo"t hi. son ill an a<;~ident that he Mamf>ll
himself for, lie aiso lost his wife because she blamed him. t()(), He needed
an opportunity to u"ercom~ his sadn""" and guilt. The trainer, who was
H"ing from hand 10 mouth, n('('de<! somcone to f{'cogn;Z<' hill spe<:ial tal~m
fo r connecting with animal:<. He W"," prcS<'nl~d wilh an opportumty to train
a hur';t' or his chuiC't'.
A.~ a t""n, the joc key had to I"a,'e hL< family l>e<:au~e they c."uld no
longer afford u) suppon him . IIe longed for Ihe opportw)ity to pruve that
he was the spe<:ial person that lu" father wanted him to ll<', Of course. Ihere
was Sea [ll!lCuit. lie needed an envirumnem of nurturing to "how his breed-
ing, ,al~,,~ and abili,y '0 oc a WInner Sen Bi""uil W"," ,Il~ ultima,~ f{'Suh
of \l'llat h~art can do for the soul of man. His triumph brought a nation t.,.
g"ther after the bitt,'r days of (he tI,~ C .... al n..'prt'SSi()1\ by giving p...,ple
hope for the fUlure .
There are many people throughout hL<lnTY who ha"" '''"''rco''''' great
odds and adversi,y in their quest for gl"<'atness , Here are some people
with hean.

• Dr. Milton F.rickson, who in spite of polio, [>l'(;af((C the greatl"ll hyp-
noth"rapl<l of all tin",
• Tiger W"od", wh" in spite "f Ihe race barrier, I>e<:ame "ne ,,((he gres t.
est golfel!l of all Ume
• Lance AmlSlrong, who In spite of cancer in his lung. and brain, won
the Tour de France fiw hmes in a row
nfH

• Thomas Edison, who was &'nt home from school occause the t{'ache,,"
s.~id he Was too ~Iupid to leanl anything, bt'Canl~ ,me of the greall"'t
in>'cnlors in )Iistory
• lJ,e,yam;n Frankl.n wa~ tile fifll'f'nth of ,,,,,,.. nt .... n ch.ldren of a poor
candle maker, li is first obstacle was that he had only one year of
schooling. lie went on to teach himself philosophy, four languages, the
cI"""ics, wntHll! for publication , sci{'nee, financ{', politics, diplomacy,
becoll1",g on{' of the oc..t Nlucate<J and great<'!!t Americans,
• AnrlcUe Kellennarl was a ~ickly and Ian'" wo,nan who beca"'e the
W"rld D'''ing Champi"n "nd wa~ judged tile ,.mrld's moot p<'rff'{'lJy
f"nned woma".

In th .. rags t" riches s!Ori .... that I have cullt'CtNl "ver Ihe years, there
are a few that I think about when I go through a {'hallenging time in my
OW" hfe. One that stands out to me is a trader na",ed Roger. He was born
inlo a famIly thaI hM a difficult time keeping food on th{' table and a roof
o"<'r !h{,IT heMS, HIs faUI{'r W"",, in a whC<'khai r and took carc of the tit..,.,
child""" ill horne . Ilis mothN, "'1\0 had "ery lilll,· ~~lucation, workt"tJ 011 a
candy factory pmdueli"n I." ... Rog~r ,lid Whill h" could as the ol,l""t """ 10
help supp"n the family by bec",n'ng a pap<'If>"y ami do.ng "Iher "dd jobs.
Since he was unable 10 finish high school, he thought Ihill he was destined
to do blue collar work for the rest of his days, Unld the day that {'hanged
his life,
Roger was in the habit of dOing good dN'ds for people because hc saw
his fa' her and [((oU'er hdp otlwrs despite (h~iT diflicullk"S. He lean't"tl fro[((
a very yuung age that g'''''] deed. gave you g,~,,] f.... I'ngs. With all ofthe •.ad
mo", .. nl..•• n his life, he I,,"ged for goud f.... ling • . Su, he I"oked f"r oPllUnu.
nities to help others,
Roger .....as ,,"orking as a maintenance man in an office building in
Chicago, One day, he found in tlie rcst-room a briefcase filled with Impor·
t.~nt and .·al"abl~ iten'~ "uCh as t·,,,,tracts and certiflcales. An exec",i"e al
llle Chicago Roard Oplions r. >chunge had a,;(;ideu,ally left it there. Roger
relul1lNl .1 inta<;1 illid I.h~ man ""anled I" reward him for his h()n~s1y. The
mall ..... a. impressed with R()g~r ill,d asked al,out hl. I.fe. He wanted I"
know how a good-looking, honorable young man was cleaning budding>;
for a I;>ing,
AnN Roger lold him about his lif{', the man offeR'{] lnm a JOb as a
"",ner at the CI.IOK Runner It"<l to lrader, t.fader led to S"lleT 'rod ... , an"
super trad~ r was abl~ \0 ..eud his l>rothers aud ~ister 10 school and gi"~ his
I'ar~n\.'i a ",,,re t;"mfonable life.
While Roger ....."'Nll.o loa,'" been given hL~ break wh .. n he I>f'<;,.,ne
a runn~r, his training for becomUlg a trader started from overcoming his
difficult Iif~ ,.,,,1 rt'Cognizing the value of good deeds,
 I~~

Y..s, (l\Ne '8 uPP<Jrtun,ly fur CTNI.('ng heart b,·yund ad,'ers,ty and twing
II<)m inl<) iL This third ~I "f <:ir<:umst.~n<:1'S are for those wh,,:

• Set their sighL~ oil a goal for mastNY with tasks that""" rle"eloped out
of a g()(){] plan
• Seek oul g()(){] morl~1s and menWrs
• D~,... lop the dlsdpUne necessal)' to follow good rules consistently
• CI'<.'atc a nurturing support;'·c cnvironnwnl
• ikco'''e a conSlanl Sludcnl uf Ihe markelS
• Balance an areas uf life 10 SUPIJlJrt ,m\SI cry
• IIruuUe psycl"'logicall"-~ul'S that '!feale saI)!>!ag"
• Work with a su<:cpss ..,oad,
• necome a menWr to others

Suzy was a woman who sought out what she wanted and did whate"er
il took to tw the OCst sloe could be, Shc was a high achie~er in school and
In Ihe corpomw world, Then, she became a top multi-Iewl marketing con·
8"I[.;).nl while creating a nurturing hume fur her family. SU'is husband was
louking fo' a new tart"" ane' reli"·n,,,n! and in Ihe p'otess, he and SU1.y
buth became inlcrestN! in trading. She transferred the experien<:e of her
multi-marketing skilL. ,n«> i>e<:(Hning succ",,-~ful a.~ a trader. Working side
by side wilh her husband and using the same furmula fur success, Suzy
blu88Umed into bceomi"-.ll a master tmder while ber husband dC"eluPNl
mto a good tmder.
The fali is thai with the right fun""la th..",.. with (l'e heart of a trader
will bloasun' and oth"rs w,lI only be gt>Ud. nut in trading, "good ain'l bad.'

Sl'H \\' IU. I ,I ,m ' CU' fiHI': u n: ss

Tllcre is anolher forn, uf grealnfflSll>a( I need tu nwn(ion . TI'~re are thO!lC

lleople, who in the process of seeking out one fonn uf "UlXffiS, achle,'e it
in an(>!her way.
One of the mUSI1a]ente-d people that r know in the financial field has
wrinen seveml best.sellmg financial books, He Is an exceptional trad",g
teacher and has de"e1oped S("w'",1 profitable tmding ~ystems . He is one of
the best in the wurld at analyzing marketll. n,,,only problem is tlom his
target was tu oc";o"'c a greal lrod,'r and this sueefflS has elutk'd hin,. lie
ha.~ sol"N! hL. p"~>lem loy having someone el~ pull the trigger on trarles
2110 MOOEliNG TOP TRAD£RI

for him. While he !~..s experienced the rewar<l~ of grealne"", there i. a part
of him thaI would give it all up to become a great trader.

(:0 \'(:1.t:S If) \'

I belie"" tbal the heart of a Irader can be den-loped Y"", il IS easier for
so,,'~ bt....:auSt" or (h~ir "~P<'ri"uc.." and r.-,$O"~~'S, bu( c,'en (h" b",,( "r
(radel'S 'My n(}( reach U'~ir wp perf"nllante if U'cy d" u(}( roll",," a gO<Jd
""Hlel. The f"rtullale U'i"g about wurking Oil he.;,u"ing a great lra,ler is
t!~.. t there is always ",ore than une wi""er. Even if yuu only I"",,,,,,e a goud
trader, in trading "good ain't bad."

If you lili !l~' Iike a I rader a 11<1 act Iike a I rader you will 1101
Iii i uk you "'''' <J d " ..k.
 11I\ . . . . l t l 2

Top
Performance

'"you willing (0 do what is ne<.;essary (0 t>t-..;o"'~ a top perfonnauce

A trarl ..", Ilefo", you answ .. r "Yps" tu this '1uPSlion, I waUl tu fill you in
as lu ",hal IhL~ rl'Sp<,,~<;e entaiL~.
Consider Ihis list Ihe price Ihat nll151 De paid to achieve Ihe ",war<ls
thai come from top lrading performance:

Educalion
Tim~
Money
F.ne<gy
Sacrifiee
Con'lu .. ring Yourself
Risk

Unfurtllllat .. ly, Ih"l'ric. .. L~ tv" high fur ,n,,,,1 people anrllhey SI()P short
of compleling Ihe actions that arc neeessary We all like 10 dunk of our-
selves as above average. bUI most or us only manage to De exceptional at
cominJ! up wilh good neu""" for maintaining a level of med,ocrity.
Most prof('S8io"s reqUlre at le""l a "ollegc or graduale deg...,.. as a mm'
im ,.", barrier uf entry. While U'e"" art' 3 r~w u«'versi{i .... U'31 graul d~~
grces with a c""centrali"" in trarling, """,I Iraders «lUSI e<!ucal. .. Ih"m·
,""h'ps un the job. II L~ an excepli""a}ly difficult as.'ig"me"l lu CO'I.'t:mlly
moUvaW yourself 10 overcome each new task on Ihe way 10 Decoming a
good tradN. This says nothing aboul becoming a lOP perfonnance lrader
""hen m05l wanHo-De traden< meet with discouragemem and mo,"" Oil to
""mclhmg ne"'·.

20 I
 If you are one of those s\arry ... y~d wanHo-be trad~", or an aw"'ge
tradN who has dClennin.-d to become a top P<'rfonnane~ trader, read on
and lake the aetions that those who ha"e reach.-d high le"els of p~rfor­
'''''''<:t'
have raken.

T" be a lOp I"'rfunner In trarl ing, yuu "Hlst have a ba.<ic foun,btion o f
knowledge of the markers and a thoruugh unde",randing of trading tech-
niques and methodology IWyond Ihal, you need an <><lucanon in II", psy-
chology of the markers and musl han' the discipline nec='Iar)' to st ick
\0 your busin""" plan and your criteria fOf entenn..: and n;ti,,": t",d<1'I, The
"'ore education you han' in troding, the more prepart><.! you will be to adapt
to (I'e in~"ita~le chang<"S Utal "'-'1:ur in the markets and stay the Course for
a long trading ~~r.
o-,'er the years, I have round that a trader will be more likely to add
\l,e intuiuveldiscretionary ind,cator that is necessary to becume a master
trddef if he has more <'ducat;on.

Tnl"~

Most of us have lin1'l with little Ume tu spare. When tryin.o; to add a new
ach"ity to our ~u~y sd'edules, "''' nnd lha( it Creal<'" a ,l\(ljor S(n."", fac-
(or. I an' certain (ha( cad, of you has convincing arguments wjustify (he
nece ..~ily of activities to maintain your life. Neverthele.<;s, Ihe facl re, nains
that without a ~ha"ge in lime priorities, U'adi"gs"~,! ..,,s will ",main beyond
your reach.
If you want to re-prioritize your lime, a good firsl step would be to
dc,'elop a lime chart that hS\8 aU of the act"'ti~s n""ded for a balanced
lire. Nex(, prioritize the ri-,maining activi(i<"S.
1>' 0"', put trading 0" (op of (hc ,"nlire list. If your basic n'.....1s Con-
SUine all of your tim .. or if otl'~r actMties take priorily ,"'~r trarling, th~n
do nol bor.he r ~onsidering trading. Re",emher, your ute must he in bal.
""ee ir it is 10 support your trading. Even though your initial enthusi-
asm for thc bus;"""" of tradmg may prompt you to r<'plac~ all or your
other acti,;(ies, you ",ill cwntually sabota.o!c your efforts 'f your lif~ is nOl
b3lanced .
T"p pur",,,,,,,,,,

It tak<'S mon~y to make mon~y . lmtially. you need "1On~y 10 lay the founda·
lion for your troriing tJusi"~S8. This initiat need Comes in llw fon" of money
for ~'{tucati,,,,, for """"areh, and for de,'elo]Jn,~"t of a methodotogy . Tllt'n.
you need '''''''I'y to ,nai"tain and operat~ your t.rading bu.'i"""'•. Finally.
you neect "'o"I'Y fOf i""~n1ory to allow you to takl' the "-~k. that are nee",,"
sal)' to earn more n1Oney. The more money you have, the less you should
have (0 risk.
(h'~rall, most businesses fail bccau&' they arc und~r<:a]litali"~d. Too
many traders go inlo lh~ business of trading unde rcapit;)l;,ed l>ccau"",
they fail 10 follu", the uni"".-sal businl'SS rule'" regarding adequate capi.
\aliza([o" . A wise strategy L. (0 salt away trading ~apital while p.<lu~at.ing
yoursel f This strategy will give yo" a running start when you are ready
to trade.

Your life chokps determine ho'" much energy you ha"e on any given day
Succ",,", is more likdy to follow if you art' able to focus mort' eOl'cen·
!Tated ~nef!(y on your modmg w h~n you fi,,!! stan- After you arc inil,ally
succl'SSful, you can decrease IlIt· tim" you spend trad ing. Nc>'el1.helc'SS,
il is iml}(H1anl to maintain focused energy wh"n you arc making trading
deeision.• .
If you want 1<) increase your ability to malntain that ~oncentratl'd, fo-
cused energy ror tradmg, you should commit to deert!asing the energy sap-
pel'S mentioned in Chapter 6. A quiek cheat ·sh""l is as follows ,

• Mak~ hcalthy ealing choie ....

• Drin k plenty orwaler
• Keep a""ay fro", sutJSI"nc"," lik~ coff"" and alcohol
• SI{",p at I~ast """~n j'om'S at nighl
• Exe",l-;e evel)' day
• Resolve the <:<>nmeL~ in your life
• Ileal eRlOlional issues
• Monilur your en~f!(y lewl when making tmd;ns: chokes
• Ask you",df if you art' in " pt'ak pt'rfom1,,"ce slalc when you arc
trading- physically. ~motio"ally, and men(ally, and if yuu are nOI. 'lu il
for (I' e day
 M()I)(UNG TOI' TAA!l£RS

S,u: KII' IC:1l

II IS important 10 balance the activities in your life 10 kffP from sabotaging

your tradilll! Il'sultll. Adti~'ing the balance that allows you to conc<"ntrate
time and ~nerg.v 10 Il'och your goals will l"Njuill' (1m! you sacnfic(' !lOme
or ~'O'" acti,·iti...,.. To ad,ie ..., ~'ou, g031~. ~'ou n~'Ctl «, gain Ihe c""perotion
and 8Upp<.>l1 or you ' ra,,'ily and rri"",ls. Ask Ihe'" (0 pr{}vid" you with Ihe
encouragement that you ",*,1 to achieve til."., goal•. Make sure d,e people
in your life understand that holi,bys ar,d otl,er !'1JW;ial occasion" that take
time away from your trading day may initially Ioa,'e 10 De sacrificed to reach
your goals. II IS important that c"eryone nnderstands this reality because il
prc"ents you from f{'{"lIng gUIlty when you lIa\"(' to say -No-at some lime.
Ask people in yo,,' lif" if tlIl'Y will sign an ag,..,.,,,'cnt to provide the
kind "r supp"r1 !.hal you need tu oc><':oll'e a Irader. l..aler, ,,' Iwn (h<'Y are
trying 1<, he time-grahbers, you can remind them or their signed agn'ement
and leI them know how you appreciate tI,eU" cOMideration in helpmg y""
reach your goals.

C:O \"O(;l<~ K I "Ci \ 'OURS Ill . I'

Trading is a ITip of &,If·disco,·ery and a profession thaI can cam you a

great deal of ",oney in the pn>ce>iS. TI'e f"n""r bce"n,,~ noore i"'purtanl 10
lraders an"r Ihey can, a cu",rurtable living. The lIlore work you do to l"<JII'
quer your psych()log;~a1 i,,"ues, th~ ~asi~r if ..... ill be to anain m,d ,naintain
peak l'errOrmaJ\~e .
Th ose trade", tloat are pro-acli"e in handling the ISSU"" Ihat kffp them
from following dIe" trading rules will he less lik~ly to stan trading wilh
large luo;s{'s. Moot p{'oplc who enter tloe tmdin.o; business do nol know this.
II C"lIles M a (utal su'llri,... to thclll I" disco''N Ihal Ih ey need hell' with
trading psycholugy 10 succ"'-'tl. MallY lratie", 10"" a luI of "'olley hef"re
disco"eTing that th~y need h~IJl . A good question to ask along the way

,
is, ·Would I make more money if r we ..... "'" ..... ~"'\.~l",ent in following my
m es.,-

TKLSTI"C~ Til RISh:

You will never achieve great le"els or success without taking risk. To be
highly successful"," a trader, you must trust your business plan , your trad·
ing m~thod, and you",df to tak{' Ihe calculatN:l risks that all' n{'{"essary to
achie"e succ<""'. When new trode", face the puo;sibihty of I""", the)' tend to
concenl.rJt~ their en~rgy on each I""" rJlher I.han I he big pil1ur~ ,,,r ean'ing
money. h is difficult for most Pf'Ople 10 trust their system, even one that
l~ well tested, when their hard·ean,,,,! money l~ t>eing swept away hy the
markets,
If yuu do not trust your system. you will cominue to experience conillet
in dN:ISIOn making after tile finn few I""""", ~'or dWI reason , n i!! ("SS{"ntial
to back or fO""a,,1 lesl your syslelll before you stall 10 (,([{I,- real money_
If you cannul trust yourst-If to IIlake trading de<:isions at (h,- right
time or if you break the lrading rules uf your system_ Ihen e''''''!.ider the
foUowing:

• Do not lrade
• Find somrone to coach you
• Haw somrone else make Ihe IrJdes

The profession oftradmg i!! not for everyone You need 10 haw the moti"a'
tion and "onln,il,nlenl to work on your own with a sea.-cily of SUPllUl'I (hat
would be atypical if yo" were working in alloll,.,r proression_ Yo" "'u.st. also
'nake the sa<:riilees of time ,md energy that are """",,"<;.ary for suce,.,.~_ As
in any btl.~i"",,"~, yuu need the Onaneial rl'S<>ur<;ffi 10 sup l,on the buslnl'Ss,
yourself, and the risk required to create wealth. Tradtng is a prof"",,;on
where you nHlSl conquer your OW" psychological demons to find the disci-
pli"e nN:t'SSary to be suceessful E"en though lhis prke IS wry Sleep. if It
sounds likc une (hal yuu are willing to p<~y, th~" Imd ing is righl fo<yuu_

The .... Ie oj ]XJSSa!Ie fo"" (",de>- i:s to otmrome the feu ,. of

IXlst Krpe'ie>lces,
 III\PI •. ltll

The Rite of
Passage [or a
Professional
Trader

he joun,,,y to becoming a suc.c.essfui professional is a trader's Rite of

T Passage Just as a child must experience many challenges on his way

to adulthood , a trader musl faee and owreome a set of hurdles. Each
Sl<'p in th~ rile of passage brin~s Ihe Irader to Ihe nnl Sl<'p in bcconHng a
true professional.

Hichard waS au"io"s 10 lrade. lie had I<.>yed wilh \I'e nolion or trading ror
a year after taking early reU ...''''''''t from his c~r a.. a C.'JI"pUler sJlSwms
devel"per. After reading several h.,ok.. allout the markeL., attending a sem·
inar on trading, and putting together his first trading system. he determined
that he was ready to stan . The problem was Ihat Richard wanted to run
before Il~ Ilad tak~" his fi"n slep. Wilh Ihe same entllusi""m thaI he had
appli<'d I" his first care~r. he began trading his syslem in ",al time with his
«ccu"'ulak"<:ilradi"S capilal. Unrortuoaldy, I'e had nOI rully 1~"Sled his SY'"
lem, whh::h h" justified a.. an UlUIecesS"ry expenditure ,,( time and effort
since he had alrl'ady don" h~. reading "lUI resean:h. Richard had nol com·
piNed Ihis rite o(passage and failed as a trader. He washed out "ftradmg
as his system f",led I"m and he failed his system.

:.!07
l'Im KI 'I'F. S 011 "\SS\.~F.

JUSI as Ricl~~ ... l failed one of Ihe early riles of passage for a professional
IradN, many others fan 10 achie'-e Ihelr professional goals because Ihey
either fail (() complNe one uf the re<Juln'li Sleps or Il,ey do nol recognize
tt,e n('('d \J) complele a ~Iep al aiL
What is a rite of passage? All cull ures ,,,,tablish significam event1! or
CN~mo ni~s ,narking the lr.\ltsition froll' une slagc uf lif~ W Muther. One uf
th~ 111001 "'ealli"gful ~'-~lIlS ill ,,'u ....' prinli!h'~ C"I!U ....... is l.he ri\.e uf lwssage
imo manhood for 12_ or 13_year_ol'l male children . In lhi~ rile, a "'''n-child
leav"" the lribe {() survi"e in Ihe wilderness for a lime while achieving some
sign of physical prowess and bravery such as hunting and kiUing a wild
animal. Thus, a rite of passa,o:e is that test uf COlHnutn'ent and cuurage,.,..
sociate<l with reaching Ihe next stage of s uccess, d",-elopment, and social
acc,'plallce.
In the m"dern ",,,rid, We ~ sumn",d ...1 hy wlOftkiaily r<><:ognized
ril"" of passage including graduation, the firsl job, buying the firsl car, huy_
ing Ihe firsl hOlne, geuing married, having Ihe firsl child, puuing your chil-
dren Ihrough college, retirement, and so on. Each culture and profession
has it.. own ril"" uf p;'ss"ge. Tl"'dding 10"" .-stablished an unwritten M'ri"" of
nles uf passage fur an ind,,;dual \0 reach the pinnacle of belli!! a SUCCN!Sful
prufeSl;iunal lradcr.
The rilPS of pa,,_o;.ag~ fo, a pmfes..ional trader are a.~ follows.

II:HIsi ng Utt' ( :l.l~ n l •• 1I:"'julr,' d In III-gin 'r n uUn g

There is liule ,Ioubl thai raL';"g Ihe ~al'ilal ne.:;"",""IY If> begin trading
is "ne of Ihe greatesl single challenges lhat face all aspiring lrader. I
ha'-e worked ,,;Ih lraders who have saved money fur decad"" before
amassing ~ufficiem cap'tal 10 Ix-j(in trading. Ilil,;ng succffded at thl~ dIf-
ficult ,cst. theS<' tmde", are posniuned III succeed exc{')Jtionally ur raj)
jusl as wildly. II is illlpurtant lu u"d~,.,.tal\d UW the achi""~",,.. 'l uf olle
rite tOIlSI ilUles 110 guaranI ce of Sue-cess. II merely penllits enlry inlU lhe
ne~t slage.

It is ;mponal\llll understand what II means to raise Ihe needed capItal

III lrade This step is crucial III futuro success. Insufficient lradmg capital
is the sinl\Ie mosl cummon wason that new tmders fail lis a lrader learns
his profession, mlstak"" can take Ihe fom, uf losses. An mrpl"n{' Ihat is in
'roubl e call ~lill lalld if gi'-"II a lung enough rullway, but wilhuul a sIImciell1
runway, thai !lame airl'lane will c.rash and bum . Ttl<, ""me principle applies
10 a trader. Thi. rile of passage df>ps "01 apply 10 all t.raders t~au"" of
family weallh or emptoyment whero m""nlllry for lrailing is supplied by an
institution . It is imperative tllat a trader does nOl grant ltimself a pass on
this rite of passage bdore its requirements haw bc<-n satlsfiNl fully.

When a t rad ... has passed thl~ t~"St. i, is a wry ell'powering. AI Ihis point, a
traoler f""L. c.onftdent that he has read what Il\~.t t>e read. researehed the
markeL~ that must t>e understood. and e<!nc.atNI himself t>ef"re working ""
his trading system. At thIS point, he understands the markets and trading
but reali,,,,, that this i"formation is still theoretical. If hIS re,""arch has be£n
done PfOl)~rty , the trader IS pr("parNl to withstand publk serutiny, just like
a young Jewish boy who is askNl to answer qU"""tions rurN:kd at hIm by
the rabbi in frunt of his fa"'ily and synagogue during I,is Bar Mitzvah.
Th. rite of passage does ("unfer the right to Iwgin d",.;gning a trad·
ing system . [Jnfm"\uMtely, many eag'" new traole ... are unwilling to c.om·
Illpte the requirements of this rite of passage Rather thall in'"""ting the long
months and years to complete this preparation, th""e traders take the easy
road , which IS also the fastest way to the uit.

Ut",t"I"llllI/:l 1Iu- S~S I " 1II

Justin did ,,"t develop hl~ own system. lie bought a c.areful!y teste<! system
designed by a bril!iant and successful trader. There would ha,'e iwpn noth-
ing wrong with sld""wpping this parucular rite of passage if he had done
his r"","arch and preparation. Ilo,",ever, he was ill equipped to undlerstand
what was hallP~ning with his systlem bt'<:ausc he had failled to do his read·
ing. Il~ did not "nd~rstand th~ fact that all systen's contain bll;l(..in I""",-"S
nor did h~ "ndefflW.nd what was triggering those 1'-"'SeS. As a reslllt, he
stopped trusting his systpm and I>/>gan to sc<:ond-gul'ss it The result wa.~
that he washed out of trading early and demanded his money back for the
syl5tem he purchased.
For the t ....eter I.,ho SI){"mls the timle 10 crleate his own system , thc result
is a lo"c alJair that dcfies desenption. Thle first syst<'m is a thin~ of beauty
alld a symbul of a major acl,i","'cn,..n\. It is al"" the ticket to HIe gan'~,
exc.ept not a.~ a player-nut yM.

Full,· Tt"s llng "tltlr S,slt' ltl

For many trade"" a fully te.;tNl syswm is the m",,1 significant ntc of
pa!,sage. Puttillg togeti,,,r a system and t,"Sting it. can be a kmg·ten" a...•
sigm"~nt for a de(.ail·oricIIle(Vrisk·avt·rso: tradN. Real·time pal){"r trading,
hisl<,ric.al trading, alUI system testing S<'rvic.es offer im[)Ortlli'l views of a
system's viahility in VariOl.l.q "l.~rket. lli,d tinwfrall"'''. Onc.e a sy~tem has
210 MOOEliNG TOP TRAD£RI

been exhaus\ively IPSIM, a trader leams what ttL. system can do, ils e,,·
peeled profil -Io-Ioss ralio, and how to work ,,;110 it.'l signat.'l and he ufficially
becomes a Iradcr It is Ihe <"Qui valent of a "onege degree and he is no longer
just an .roser",'r oflhe markets. lie is now a play" r Withoul a fully Icsle<l
sys!<'m, a lrader is a Jlambler or an amaleur

f;U11111h'UUf; ~l Ih'Ulilnl BuSilll'S" I'I~"I

A pr"fes.~I"nal trader is also a busin"""man . IIe works for himself, m;mag""

nlOney, rruses muncy, manages an office. and directly andlor indirCC1ly em-
ploY" a small number of ind,,;du31s, If a lrader wanlS 10 stay m busin""",
he musl operal" by Ihe principl"" of business managemem, whIch indudes
having: a busin ..... plan, This plan pro>ides" detaIled mudd of the tradmg
operalion, au in",,"lory of assetS au<l liabiliti~'S, a list of r~'S<>urees, pro-
jeclai costs a,,<l inco"'~, a,,<l a pIau fur Ihe futu re i"clu<li"g ~"""li"sencies.
It should take a few """'Ih.• 10 complete a comprehensive busines..
plan because il requir.,s research. data "olleclion , contemplatiun, and Ihe
answeT!l to some very tough queslions, Th e nlosl imponanl people to a
bllSin"ss, includ",~ ban k"", and dienl!!, ""peel such a business plan and
that il be profeSSIonal, compicle and trallsp"",n\. A trader may begin Irad·
ing l>efure ~'<.>n\pleting the busi"ess pi,,,, , but he is "ot omdally in business
until it L~ (:ompleIM . Thll.., a bll.~ines.~ plan, ""mplel" and c"mprehetL~I,'e,
is ''''<>Iher rile of passage.

\\ur~lng un "uur I's~('hulug.\·

Suct:~ssful professional I",de", know Ihal Ihdr ~"'at""t ~nemy is in tll"ir

uwn ,,'inds. Th~ cn\utiu"~ uf rear au<l gR'"d are I\'ure powerful thall any
Illarkel fure .... ill creal ing lus'll'S. U"resolved issues fro", a Imd,'r's pa'>l
(:3" show up when a Imrler is i)(JfM, frighlenM, WOrried, or lhinking aboUl
anything Ihat could remind his unconscious of forgollen ewn\.'l
Th e psycholos.." oflradmg is recognized as a major issue in mail\laming
a trading career. For Ihis reason , traders who are commilled to long-term
carC<'", arc lining up to dcal wllh Iheir psychulogical and "mullonal Issues
and wurki"S U" Iheir sdf-discipline. This Iype uf wurk isjuSl as <le,na"ding
"" lhe ",scare!, an<l dC>'eiup"'cnl phase uf a lradcr's career. Having com-
pletM Ihl~ work is like being handM the key 10 the kingrlom. giving yuu
f"""lom III lrade at your "ptimum level.

Sunilinf; Ih,- .'Irsl \lajllr I,,,ss

The rmin and fear that accu mrm"ies a I\'ajur loss is ufic n sumci~"t tu
put a trader out or busines.•. T'>t, ofiell , a lrader i. ill prepared for the
Th. R,I. of Pou"g. foc a Prof«sion,,' had" :.!II

diwrienWtioll thai R'SIII~~ from a sillgle large loss or Slrillg of lor;scs. lie
~an ,,,ad and Ialk allt,ul it, hut Iher~ l~ no way I" ari"'lualdy p~l'are for
it Wltil it happens, However. if Ih~ lrader is supponed hy a pool of lrading
capilal thai'" large enough to absorb the loss( es) and h'" emotional pool
IS d~ep enoug./> to absorb the shock wan'S, a trader can deal with thc I"""
and r<'!(aill his forward momentum ,
Regardl,,,,,, of talcnl or systc,n profllability, a trader wil/ ""stain 10S'lt-'S.
lI"w welilhe losses are handl...-J largely delem);n"" h"w long a trader ~an
trade afterward. Preparing to handle InBs l~ pan nf th .. rite nr passage. If
a tra<.ler lrusts his system , amasses adequau> lrading ealllla], works on his
psychology. fol/o",. his business plan, consid"", cuntingencies in his husi-
ness plan , and puts into place Ihe P<'"",nal supports ncc<'SSary to suslaln
him thmugl, lOSS<'!!, he wmSUf\we 11\", major chalknge,
Tht, first '''(Ijor wi" call be as traulllatic as Ihe lirst ,najor I<JSS. 11,{'
"")oliona! roller ~oasler ride that aeeumpanil's the first major win ~an lie
a.~ ull.<;<>ttling 10 stability and ",,'f.dl<;<>ipline a.. Ih .. first major lo,"s. Fur thi..
r<'asoll, tile same supports need to be put into place to sUf\ive this trial,
as well.

Nu lrading syslclII can predil1 ~>'cry potelll ial lIIu>'e ur work ill ewl)' "'a<-
keL Flexihility m1L<t iff, factor...-l il1l.o every trader's syslem. Even the IIH,.;t
fiexible trader c.amu>t predict the lype "f ",ndo", market ehanges that (x;.
cur. COWl!!ess traders "'ere hil broadside wh~n their exchanges convened
to electronic tradmg furmats.
In a lung tmdlll!: career, a trader should expecl to ('ndur<' at I('asl onc
m<uor market change thaI turns his trad",!: systelll and style on its head.
Wh~n mark~ts undc.rgo (ht'S<' proround changes. th~ unprcpar"" troders
wa.~h ouL Onc. .. again. th .. troder who h,as w"rke,l"n hL~ jli<ycholoID/ ha.~ an
advant.~ge in adversity bcca1L"" he I~~s the e""'tiona! """'U!,<;I'S to handl .. It.
If he has buill a strong family and social net to sustain him and has manag...-J
his finances and risk carefully, he will have Ihe ability to weather a dramatic
change in thc markcts because markct chan~c has b(,(,11 consid('r~d In his
cuntingCIlCY plalllling.

III.'u'IUlliUf! all lultlllh\' TratJiuf! Sif!ual

On~ ..the u..;lmlea! a..pecl~ "ml psychologica! is.~ul'S "f tradillg h",'.. t"","
addressed. a trader may want to explore th" nexl realm of trading by using
an intuitive signal. This step is lruly a rite of passage beeause it requires
such a to"g sta~e uf preparallon bdor~ a trader is tuned inlo hIS tradi"~.
his system, and the marke\.S that he call reco~lIi ... and trust III" Intuitivc
signals, Too ofkn, rook;" trode", atl~mpt Uus lasl great rite bccauS<' they
fail to set" how '''nch Il'CparJlion and e'perience are rt><lnir{"(L Por ;nex·
{>t'rienced lrode!'; 10 aUe"'pl this strolegy is like a new s kaler trying 10
perfonn stationary spi'lS l>e<:au.<;e they h'k so ea<y. ~!<>St techniques used
by masters look deceptivdy simple unlil one tril'S to duplic.ate them. Pro",
obs<orvation, th~ profits g~nerated by intuit,ve master traders are by far the
most significant ones in the industry. This rile of passage givcs a trader a
nghtful sl~p onto the top of th~ trading pyramid and rt'pr."..,nts a signifi·
canl body of preparalion aud hard·"'on ,"periencc.

Like all professions, trading presents its members ,.,ith a set of great ehal·
l~ng~s that l~ad to hi~l'~r st~]lS in d~vdopll\~nt and success. &lch nte of
passa.o:~ reprt'S<'nls a tr.>ders commitm~m to nedlence and growth and
rt><lu;~ "ualities of d'antCter such as cuurage, detcnuinalion, and pcr·
~i8l,'nce. Wilh each rile of passage, a trader ,uovcs closer 10 beeo"';"g a
su,:,:,,",,,fu] professional tmder at the lOp of hL. fonll . Por I.hL. reas,m, i1
is imponant to ="gnizp th"'" ritl'S mill to ce lebrate them for what tJ,ey
represent and for ,.,here th~y are leading.

WIUllet"£f Ille b'UCt'Cl<S model yrm fallow. you Mill /leed 10 fit
!lfJl1''''e1finlfJ tlwl mOffd "lid s"melinw~.lheJil wililleed
maJo,· alterolfons ill on/o'lo yI"QUJ.
 III\PI •. ltll

Middle C

Struggling young diem ask"... me re<;e ntly: "At ... hat puin! willi he a

A real trader?"
I IOld him. -You become a trader, a ,ealtrader, once you visualize
in your "lind that you arc a trader and have a wry dear picture of betng a
trader. At that mo",enl, reprdless or your Niucation, knowled.o!e, or expe-
ri~"c", yuu are a trad"T."
1I~ looked al n'" doubtfully when I had g;,'en my , .. ply. So, I contin o
u",1. """e unly things Ihat ,,;11 ""parate yuu from thatl'i~lUre are the utJ,er
pictures created in your mind that make you QUB'ltion yourself."
When you imagtne YOl1fS{'lf as a trader, you cloak yourself in the suit
of a Imder. You sian ealtng, walkmg, and doing Ihe things Ihm lrade", do
t>ccausc your dedsion 10 be a t .....eter ,,·m al1ract all Ihal IS ncc"ssary for
you to be,'o"''' a trader.
If you ,Ioubl Ihe po ... er of yuur o ... n ,netltailmagery. close your ey""
for a ,,,,,,nenl. Clearly ,;suaJize that you are confronting a p<1&.~ible trade,
but do not know what 10 do. \"ou feel powerless 10 pull Ihe lrigger. You reel
frig.hl"ne;:l and in Ihe dark aboul everything Ihat is happening around you.
FillN! with ""If-doubt and a lack of contidenc.', how do you think you ,,·m
face Ihe nexllradc when your ey"" a,c wide open?

\ 'IRTI:OSO I'\' UII)l)l , t~ (;

H~c,,"Uy, I uUcndcd a pany al which Ihe hu<s1 a''''ouncL... llhal his child'en
wanl",llo entenain me un Ihe piano.

21 :1
21-1 M()I)(UNG TOI' TAA!l£RS

Th~ fi"'t child to )}<,rfonn was th~ cld~st girl of th~ family. Sh~ sat down
at t.he ke~ooard ",i(h a t.r~"'endous amount of eonnd~nc~, ",hid, prun'pted
,ne «, exp.,ct (ha( I was aoou( 10 hear so"'en'ing quile e xtroonhnary. When
she began to play, my expectation.• we .... inHn...tiately realize<! . Upon con·
duding h~r sterling perfonnanc.e, she clused ,,'ith a simple II<'w. We ap-
plauded her performance enthusiastically because i1 was truly amazing.
After her bow, she identified the title of the piece that she had just played.
TI,e nut child 10 perform was hcr younger brother. Prior to playing,
he appwadwd (he bench with "'-lual co"r,(iI'·n.;e. Mod.'ling hiS oldN sis-
ter, the boy !;CtUed hi",.sel r confidenl ly on (he Sl'at. Wh ile his IlCrfonnance
show",1 that he had a ways to go hef"re he would matd, hl. sl<;ter's artistic
mastery, the si(nplidty "f his perrom,anc.e was equally enten.a.ining. I could
see frum his parents' reactions that Iheir son had played Ihe best that h~
could at his ]lr~S<'m k.-d of n,aslcry. ~'or that, they were ('{jually SUP1>O!'t·
i.'c and pil'asNi. f\fU'r his perfom\ance, the yoong~ r brother also oowed
and "''''o''nc~'{1 Ihe Iitle of his pi(....".
TI,,, third child to cnlcnai" 0" was a"olher girt , who was only four
years old . She apprnache<l the hend' with the same t:<",ndence a.~ her ohler
brother and "l'fer. She pao,*", befo'" her perfofm",,,!e and wilh foco~ thaI
wa.~ equal 10 her older siblings, raised the pointer finger "n her righl hand
and pressed the keyof~!tddlc C, Then , she ~tood up, bowed "'(th a nourish
and announced, !he name of my p(ffe '" ·~!t ddlc C," We al l applauded her
enthusiastically becao.,., she had also do"e Ihe besl she could. The besl for
her was Ihe .nowledge (hat Ihe picture she had in her mind would ,"anif,'St
itself in lime.

The piclu"", Ihal you create in your ",;"d are .... ally i""l",e1i(.. ", 10 ~'OUf un·
c.O!L~ious mind. The general instruction rmm each and every menwJ image
i8 identi~a1. even if Ihe actual images are C<>l " plelely diffeN'n\. The general
instrucuon from IheS<' mental imag"" is Ihe same as Ihe command given
by Captain Jean Luc Picard of Ihe starship EntcTVrise 10 his First Officer.
\\'hen Caplain Picard (ssned " command, it was always accompankd by
the phra"" , ·~Iake it so, Number One!"
In Ih" ca..,., of yOUf own mind dra"'as, your ,"en(,,~1 pictu .... is (he CO"'·
m"'HI~r ",,,I your uncons':;ou;; (nlnd l~ iL' First Officer, c."nde("ned 10 c.""ry
oUl its every omer wllhout questi"n . To your unco"s<;ious mind, your pic·
lUre of realily is Ihe realily, It must do whatever is needed 10 "make i1
so." n.,·o faclS aboUI these n\ental pictures gj,'e them power to structure
your reality:
Middle C :II S

I. Theyare di="tiws that must be obeyed

2. Sinc~ thr-y arc op<"raUng on an unconscious k",·el. they are wry dtfficult
10 ide"tify and ""en Illore dimcuilio innuc"ce

To be elT....:lj'·". your menial pici ure "'u8t bt- positi"e .~nd il "'USI be in clear
foc us. 1 one" workL~1 wilh a trader named Dave. " ' ho was having great
<liffieuhy pulling his trading l<>gPl.h er. Ilis resPOtL<"'I t(J qU"'lti(JIIS about hl~
professional and P<'rsonal life were ",variably ,·ague. If hIS responses to
my Questions were murky. jus m .. ntal pictures we re e,'en more indlstincL
o.",Pltc his expressed dcsiTl' to bc a highly successful tradler. he simply
could not pIL1ure hImself filling the role of a successful trader. In fact. Daw
could nut clearly pk"ture hi",st"lf as a IradN al all .
lIow",·.. r, he could dearly pieture hilu ...lf as tite m"'~~ger of a sue·
cessful «,stamant. whid, was the caree r that he I~~<I abandnnl'd in favo r
of tradUlg. He had eominced lumself that lradlllg was a lueram'l' field and
that hI' could make a great deal of monl'Y in it. \\1,en hI' dISCussed his trad-
ing bUSiness. lw had no passion for it But . Dan' In up like a lOOO-watt bulb
when he discllSSt"d his "xperienc ~"" in II'e world uf reslauTanl manage"'ent
1l~ showt'"d me pid""'"" of his old ",'Swurants and of Ihe JK"O(lle I hat he
had trained. In hL< minrl's eye, he .... as running a h~lsy restaurant. training
staff. eatering to his diem .. I.. , anrl el\juying the satisfac.tion derived fro",
providing great ... n ice to the public. It did lIot require a gt"at deal of .... ork
to ".,nvince him to surrender his trading dream in favor of the world his
imagination had ~Iready P<'rcciw<l as hIS re~hty .
11 0w do ~'ou know if your "'ell tal picture is a f"".y olle" Tt'e Illore
dclail a picture has, Ihe Illore in· focus it will i.>econ'". For exa"'pl". can
you at~~W'" Ihese questions whell you picture y(Jurself lrading"'

• Where are you?

• \\~,at does the roo,,' h,k Uke?
• What SOUlllt< e"" you hear"' Is the r.."", silent or l~ there music playing"'
If "". what song is playing?
• Exactly what ar<' you domj(?
• What kind oftradillg arc you doifl.ll?
• What SystCII' arc y,-,u USing 1'-' make your M"<;iSio"S?
• How big arc the Irad,"" thai you arc "'aki"g"
• \\~,at. is thPllwrket. doing"'
• \\~,at are you wearing?
• lIow much money IS in your trading account?
2 I Ii

• Ilow do you feel? Whal is your emotional s\ate? Are you happy, fright-
ened, ups<'t , jo~ful. or eXIICC!''''t?
• lIow successful do yoo think you arc at Ihis moment?
• \Vital pkt"r~ is in yo"r mind of your f"turc? Describe il .

If you can ans"'er these qu""tions dearly. then you are a real trader.
If you cannot answer them or if YOUf a"SWeT>! Im:k delail, you arc gi,;ng
you"",11 fuzzy menIal pIctures of YOlllS('1I as a trdder. The .... sult IS UlaI you
are swimming againsllh~ lide.
[f a Idevisiun SIal ion broadcasts fu,"'y inlag,-,,>, you can npt"Ct pour ,,~
c ~l'lion on your home ser".,,, . No mailer how mudl you fuss wiU' your [{'Ie.
vision or "omplain to your cable operator, Ihe imag"" will conllnue to tie
unreadable The problem with fuzzy mental imag"" is thaI you aT(' transmit-
lin.!! fuzzy inslructions to your "nconscious, \"our unCOfISClOUS mind will
nol Imow whal to do and may do all of the wrong [hin.l\S or do nothing at
all. [n lIw C(lSt' of SOme fuay imag~os lhat ar~ ajumbte ofpusili"e and neg-
aliv~ piCIUTt.'S, you mighl be sabotaging yourself each ti me you take {I step
fOn\'ru-rl .

Like Ihe four-year-<>[d pianisl who played Midd[e C with maestro sell-
rlO6S<'ssion, you can lay the groundwork for Success as a trader by bUIlding
t.lle dearest and most llOwerful "",ntal image of "ucc'-"'!S. [f your dNlirc to
tie a succt'SSful trader is Stronger Ihan any OIi'~r dream bul you do not
have the mental i,nage, yuu Can create a nlenl{ll pielure thai wili guid~ yuur
U"C'''l.'<Cinll.~ tn act t.he role and "make It so."
One of the ",oS[ dfective ways to ereale a ne,," ,nental image l~ [0 sit
down with a pad of paper and construct a detailed profile of a successful
trader, The oplim"m way 10 do this is to have a prOlotypt' or OC81.possible
example 10 model. From reading about Iradmg """,[en;, you can ('xtracl
d~l{lils, attiwde~ and behaviu", Ihal Can tie uSt'<J Prom your uwn e~l'e­
ricnc~'8 and obsen.'alions, yo u can add allilud..s and ~haviu", Ihal alw
resulled in ~Ut;cess.
Put II all dow" on paper Write a description of yourself ... a great, suc-
cessful trader and do nol omit any details: Describe Ihe place, [he sounds,
(j,e smells, the office arrangement, and what yoo are wearing. Iko!cribc pre-
cisely what you are doin~ how yoo are f...,ii!l..ll, and w[w you aw sa~;ng to
yuurself as you a", doing il-- n,c M'S(;riplion of I h ~ In"nlal i"'age Should be
SO dear that a "'u>'ie di .... clor, SCI Mosigner, and aclOr cuuld r....,,,,ale the
scene exactly .
MiddM C 217

Once y"u ha,-" Ihe picture, read il o,'cr alld over until you knol<' each
rleta;! It, the po int that you ~al\ dose your ey"5 :mrl see , hear, ~I\lell. amj
feel iL The pie tu", ~hould indude a owene where yu" are waIChing a signal
from your system. taking t hat signal. watching the trade as It zigzags '" th~
appropnate directioll, mId thell succ._fully exiting the trade. As you exit
that sueecs.sfullrade, your memal picture should illclude all image of you
celeb r"l ing y(}Ur succ~ and .... pealing Ihe cycl~ o,-"r and oVer.

A detailed mental image is one of the most I'<''''",fu l t"oL~ thai a trader can
have. An individual with a dear vision of himself as a trader, "'ith p""itive
detail and without misgi\'ing, is truly a {radcr. Ollce we eml dear ly see the
';sion of ounwl""" do",g or beillg a partIcular thing, th(' experience "f It
exislS for us. When the cl('ar picture IS crealed ill our minds, the image of
.... alily bt-co'''N' rea l fo r us a ,,,1 We ,!<,nd instrucli(HlS to our ""cunscious
mind that ,"usl be followed W make il SO. AI Ihis point., ""c sel illio "'oIion
Ihe forees thal will do whale"er II takes tu make Ihal image bee ome a ",al·
ily III fact , Ihe reality of that ,;sioll is already manifested illlhe future We
may 1101 be able 10 play Tehaikovsky's Na.w Concerto />,'0. 1 yCl, but if we
can,..,.. "u"",I""" doing it, we are well Oil the way 10 reach",g our guais.

Passion ;s IIwjuello all lou;loppable {!<Jtlt .

 111\1'11 . 1( ,I.

Passion

he """reI 10 greal Irading ;,; to have Ihe passion llIal bu~ds mOliva-

T lIon. Passion sUPl'ons Ihe disd]lli,,~ Ihal is "",,~ssary in o..e[ComUlg

Ihe p"ydlOlog;cal pain of draw-downs and Ih .. turmoil of markt rc-
"ersals, ,~J\d fucust"S you on a p11111 lu Inaking r ~al "'on~"y .

(:IU~ \'I' I~{; " ,\SSIO\'

Il uw II" yuu c .... ate pa....~i()1\ ill YUUlself, and l~ il pu!<Sihle In ~ .... ate pa.o;.
sion wh~ro IhNe was linle ur none bef"",? nus qUe5uun ;,; one oflen
asked by traders who have lusl Iheir passion fur tradmg, Th e answer is a
qualified 1''''',
1"in<t, let us look at Ih~ stalC uf your passiun riglll now. rulsl'.-er Ihe
fuliuwing ~ig h l '1" t'Stiuns with a seu ....• [run' une lu Ilw, ,,'iU, ftl'~ being Ihe
nlUSI pUS i nv~ a"sWer.

I, \'uu would dl> Ihe work even if yo u did not get paid for it
~, \'0" are f'ICu,',ed on ma.~\ery in yo ur trading
3. Yuu nutie" a U1lnsfunual iun uf yuu",,-,If, "utjust Il'~ uuleu"'~ uf wurk
~. Yuu are un3Ware ufnnw passing when yuu a ..... lrading

l. Yuu r,nd lhal yuu oc'Cu ''' ~ creaOw as lI'eli as I....,tonical in yuu r
apl',,~~ch tn trading

2 I!J
220 MOOEliNG TOP TRAD£RI

~;. You m'l>id .horl CUL~ mId expe<lien~i"" in achieving yuur goals in
trading
7. You 'equire "ery little rest and awaken eager to gel started
II. You sf"'nd little to no time thinking about va.::atiollS from trading

Any r.::spo"s<:s to tt,,.,...

i88u"," in the o,,~.(.,.two range show a low level
ur I'Il'lSiun fur yuur lradiug. Yuu shuuld "ud yuur anSW~rs in Ih" fuur-I'"
nv~ range fur all tile qU''SIionS if yuu are lu ha.'e a le",-I ur]la'lSio" Ihat Can
bring you to a high levd "fsuccess.
Tu understand huw you can increase yuur I""el of passion, it is impor-
tant to understand where passion comes from and how, if at all, you can
m;n.:: these "",ur""" for your own u,.."

Some of th~ most passionate traders I have worked with came from ,'ery
difficult circumstances, TI,~y were raised in great po,·~rty or they escaped
war-Wrn countries or th~y wcr.:: forced, for what""~r reasons, w do with·
oul. the (hi"g» thUllho~ around (h ..", had, (h~rcb~' "'aking Ihe'" feel (low-
erllOSS, "ul"crable, and aIIgry al Ihe t,uuS(ice ur their (I,,,,erty, All uf thiS
great la<;king .::rea"" in sume .::hildren tlw il~""tiaiJle need to achie"c So
that they will neve, again feel the lMin of not ha'ing what they need . This
great an,billun w achieve is what drove men like Andrew Can,egie W build
linan.::,al .::mpi"", alld 10 nt'''''r be ""'tisfiro with what th~y had There I.'! a
great passiot' in this unconscious nctXl to owreom.:: tt,,.,... ..
arty feelif\lls of
1I~!ples>l'W'lS, want, a"d vu!"~rabililY by creating ~"on"u"s w~alth . The re-
~ul(ing dri.'e fur su~ce&; is SO un.stoppabl~ (hat the et~"'~nL~ uf U bulu"c,'()
m,d happy personal life are onen ign"red or '~je.:ted, ""l>e<:ially if they are
seen to interfere with the end goal of su.::"""".
Fred was one of these traders, lie was so passionate about hI.'! trading
that 11~ worked 15 hOl.m< a day, six and S('''~n days a w<'('k at his t",ding,
Fred was und~tcrred by I"""",., markN re"eJ>lals, and syslem problems, He
wa~ ~ag .. r 10 leanl '-"erything he could aboul lrading and was ,,"en witting
tu wurk "II hi~ trading psyci,,,logy as IUllg as il was r,nl'ly h""ro in un his
trading. Al!hough Fred's fmntly ,,"a.~ n"t poor, hi~ fathe, hml "ome through
the Great Oep",... ion of the 1930s with su.::h a fear ofpo,"erty thai he had
kept his wife and children on a deprivation diet of parsimony, as he sqUlr-
retro away <"'cry penny he could save for tI, .. rainy day that h .. kn~w w,,"
commg, TIle result for ~'red was a childhood of going W bed on an ~mpty
 22 1

SlUlI'ach alld guing lU "':hool in hand ·"'t'-<iuwn dolhes. PR'(I n'ad~ a Moei·
slo" thal toe would never go hungry again.
If you are mot;"al...:l by fear, the best way to mine this suuree is to In-
crease your level of fear of failure and vividly imagine whal il wuuld be Uke
to lose evcrydu"-'!. nu" piclure '" cnough 10 get some PN>plc '-cry passion·
ate aboul dlcir lradlng. For othcrs, II could ha'-c the oppositc affcct.
Although Ihis is fl<.>&>ibly (I'e ",,-,,,I powerfu l source of passion for SIK'
e""" in trad ing, it is "ue "ource thai som" "f you may nul ,,'ani to creal.".
You need to kllow youI'!II'lf. Are you ",,,tivat...:l toy '''''ing yuurself with a
very negalive outcome or by seeing posilive Images of what you could be-
come illihe future?

Sonl~ child r~n are jusl oom with a pa!;"i,,11 f"r a particular thing, whellwr
it is ba.~eball "r cars or to""""" "r playing the piano. And n" adult can talk
them out of it. These passio,~~ "''''III to be har<l_wired "",I are probably
the result of genNies at its hesl These IIIdh'iduals find the source of their
passion and pursue it despite all ob.<;tacles in their path. An innate 10'"" or
numbers alld finance Of a love of Ihe roar "",I excilement of the trading
floof has dnven mor<' than one passionate tr-dder 11110 the profession And
IoU amuuill uf sell>acks Can deter these traders.
Thi. ki",1 of pa.""i"n cmmot I... manllfactur<~1 by argument, I"gie, couu·
""ling, o r a chang" in dreuIIL'tance. It can '>ldy be "nearth"," Sometimes.
an indi,idual with this kind ofp"""ion is unable to access II because he has
not yet encountered the trigger to releas<> it, Por example, a cluld has an
inllale pa&~ioll ror meillS. but dO<'S not set' II race umil h<' is ill his young
adulthood. On~'t" h~ s..."s I,is firm race. his lir" is lransfonn...:l alld I.here is
no g"ing back,
Sometimes, this pa.<;sio" is efU-,he.-l or purl'o"ely squ...,ze<l uut or a
~hild l>I'<;auSl' the people around him,.,.., ~ither thfeat~ned by IIIL' pa."";u,,
or they do not undersland it. When tlu" occurs. the ",dividual spends his
life f~eling an emptiness that he cannot explain, and lie wonders ",hy he
reels no passion for Ihe things that he has chOS<"n to do. I !ww eoun""lcd
many such indi,'iduals.
Ilu all uf us ha'-e an i"nalt" lu~~ uf Ih" thing' I l>eli"ve that "',-,,,I uf
us ,10. Our jub is to dL<;co,'pr Whal that thlng is m,d ",'ereo",e our fear of
pursuing it ill a way that L~ fulllUing 1<) us. One of the successful way. to
use this motivating souree ror tradmg is to look at the various elements
of trading.
 00 you ha"e a d('('p [o,'e of one or more of IheS<' {'kments, and If 50,
whi ch OI'e? :-:alUrally, I.he more ('1,-n\~IIts you e,Uoy, I h~ mor~ likely Irading
is the profession for you . Think about your low for Uw fol luwing:

o Res ea rch a nd Ana lysis - lhOS<' who are anrueted w analytical study,
as a result of Iheir backgrounds in ,-ngin'>t>ring and mal hen'atks, will
find this part of U,,- trading process e.lremely e'Uoyable. Very ofien
th"Sf' are Ihe same people whu finrl it rliffieull to deal "ilh the emuliun.'
of trading when they ac.tually have \() put un a trad~ I",,~a ll..e thL. i.
stretching intu anar<'a Ihat is unfamiliar to them.
o Risk and Comlletilion -those who enjoy athlNics, war games, and
computer pmes will find this part of trading sti mulating and excIUnl!.
This stimulation will k''''Jl a trade r comin.o; back each day with a sen""
uf 3ntidp3tioll like a loun1-<"r going uul seeking his prey. Hu"'C'"N, unCe
3 trader has l>een in Ihe profl'SSiun fur a "umbN of ""uIII hs, h~ n'ight
find that folloWing a system is li ke ",atehing ",et pa1m dry and Ihe orig.
inal thrill of Ihe hunt <:<>old b.. gun .. , whid, can I..ad to ""me psycho-
logical challenges,
o Co nqu eri ng Yonrsdf- mjlially, when a lrader comes intu trading 11
is all about ,"aking money, bul c"en,ually, he finds out il is all abuut
CO!"lu~ring himself bt"Cause lu ~\ay in Ilw markets aud bt- sute.ssful he
mllSt conquer all of hl~ fears and rl .. n""~•. This pr..ces.~ Ihen bf'c,,,,,,,,,
his n"w cI~1.lI .. ng.. 'Uld those who ",uoy thL. pnwl'Ss are on Ii'~ir way
to masli'IY

RIOUH;\' IS IJt:STI""

Scientists ha"e dIscovered the biological basis for whal w~ nommlly call
passion is in our n,-,urotransmiUers, Ih~ d,,-,,nieals thai ebb and ~ ow in
\I,c syrUll>SeS or our brains. Such ncurod'~n'icals as dorm",in" and beta-
endorphi"s can ,,,ake liS fee] a g",at lIrg~ to s.ati~fy our appetili's. In
addition, our ho=o""" a1<;u f,,.,.-j into our I'a.~sion.~. A wh ile back, NPR
produced a program that examin<>d the relations!.ip between t<'Stosterone
and personality One man who had li'mpurarily lusl his ability to prooucp
icsluslc ronc found himself staring at the wall without any dcsire to do an)"·
U'ing at all. Onc" his "'issing 1"~lus(eron" was r~placed, I'~ w"" onCe ag,~in
nile<.! wil.h a ])a.';"ion for life.
ThL. stol)' anrl ulhers like if are testimony (0 th .. fael thai biulogy i.
d""tiny anrl In thi8 case, biology can largely del .. nnine the level of your
passion for life. T raders who feel no passion for Iheir trading or anything
clS<' for Ihat matler, may be deahng: with a biological Issue, m\l,er than
a psychological nne . If you sus!''''!t that you are dealing with a biol"gical
issue, th"n you sh"uld consider a eheckup with a medical professional who
can test and trea! you for this Co"dllion .

UI ,ua" ·\ 'I'IO\' ,\\"II r\SSIO\'

Prople who lack imagination often lack passioll. One oflhe key ingredIents
in passion is a vivid Imagi"ation. The sIghts, """unds, lastes, and all th"
<>til"r delails of an ima,o;e ar" th" d"ments of passion This is why somrone
who is ""'ting tl\" se,'n" of a se-duction brings a ll I.h" ..1"menU; of th~ ""'1Se!<
log"th,,,- th .. ~ owe"', lIw ",uSic, lhe ligh(ing, the win .., and (he foods to
exdte the S<'tL""" and a lovely room with a view and the perfect dOl.hing
and pl'rfumes and candles_
For passion to exist wher<' there was no passion pr<'viously, the S<'lISes
muSt be arouSNl ""itll dewils tha! mak" th" imagina!ion work. Th" awa,,,
n""" of these dNails snmulat" th" """,",s, "'hid, in tUfl' hdp th .. brdi" to
.... 1~a8t' the "" umlransmiU"r.; I.ha1 make ,LS r~el ali"e with passion .
The na(ural levd of pIL'lSion in a hum"n lJeing can IJe dran'"lically
s(untwl by (he exl .... sure to Ios.~, humiliation. '<'lection, " riti.;i.sm, "r (rau·
matk experiences. The in\ages formwl in the unconscIous from th'-'Se ex-
periences are powerful enough to <iamppn the urge to reel passion for hre
and for the chOICes "'·c make.
This art'a is particularly an,,,,,able to significam improvc",,,m by work-
ing wilh som....,ne ,,'Io u is traint",1 to Ioelp you de"elop a I",,,,,,rrul set of
imag .... that Can m oliwtt~ you and dramMically increllSt" ~' o"r pas»ion for
trading and help ((J undo ,\amagi"g images that decre"se passi"n .

1\ r \SSIO\, I·' OR II F. 'UTII

Good health supportll strong passIons. Studies ShlOW that ('xcrcl"" not only
.... 1~llSe1l neun>transmiUe", such as l>c(a..,r"lo'l,h inS and ,..,rot"nin bul it
promotes the tllOw of th" body's honnon..s. Witho,,( a I\~art pump to eir_
~ulate iL~ hnn"o""", the endu<!rine system depl'nd~ on the <:<"'tra~lion or
"".scl,'S tu move its honno""" anmnd the budy . .so, exerx;l<;e l~ vital to the
support of passion.
!lut, good nutrition and rest are just as impullam to passioll as exer-
~1"". Poor diets dqJlett' the body of'1tal num"n'" Ihm produ~.., the neu-
rodrernieals, honnones, and erwrgy that support Ihe r...,lings of passi"n
for li fe .
 M()I)(UNG TOI' TAA!l£RS

Again. lhis is an area in whiCh yuu can n'ak~ dra",ali" i"'pru"~rncnt~

"n y"ur ",,'n "r under Ihe d;"",Ii"n u( a profl'S.~i,,,,al nulrilionl~1 and/"r
phy"ica] trainer. Even a simpl,' gym '''emt><,rship \hal you ac.lually use c.an
help you to make measurable improvements in your level of passion .

( ;0 \'C ;I ,L" 10 \'

Passiun is a "ilal pari or a SUCC~'&lrul lrad ing care.-r. While sorne are bum
wilh ahundanl pa.'<Si"n. Ihe rest of liS may need help in hlossom ing pa.'lsion
in our professional lives. The go/wI new~ is Ihal Ihere ~ ways in wJlich
we can develop or increase uur lcvel of passion" For cxan,ple, wc can cx-
plore our Irading fOf areas of lalem pas5ion or work wilh a professional to
increase our psychulogical resources and ollr heallh. TI,e firsl step is recog-
niz;nglhe nttd for pas5ion~ Ihe next step is making an ass..'SSmcnl of ollr
cum'''1 levels~ "nd Ihe I.hir~ slep is (ic,'eluping" plan uf anack, ~nliSli"g
help, and getling slartHl .

WI!<!'II yuu Ji "d il iJ Ilcomlm1uble 10 "ot luJlm" !lm,,- rules.

!lOI! lia ve (J n"ived <15 a wi 1m i "II t!"tHim".
 III\PllltJI.

The Winner's
State of Mind

amtaimn.o; a winner's sta(~ of mind is the kICY W e ~ e r..,xpandmg

M Su~'<.:eSS ;11 all areas of life. Por a Ira<ler, il can make Ihe di ffer·
ellCe bel ween Iwillg "'o"ey and a high I,'~el of perfonnance alld
~ \'~rything in hN ,,-een. lie..., a..., key ingredienL~ for reap~,g the ...,war<l~ of

succet<..fuJ tradiug.

The IChokes you makIC in how you ICat, drink, exerei"", think, and ,esl will
ha\'c an eff~-..:t 011 the energy you Il;"'e for your trading alld your life.

l'u<I(l ~1I1\1 Hrlnk

Tilese provid,· nulrilion and therefore energy to you r body- and depending
upon YUllr clu.M es, they will either gi"" you additional energy or take it
away.

Exereise on a daily basis IS important to kC<'p a positive stale of mind,

bul il is also i"'porlant Ihal you (io"'1 overdo il.. You ,,' ill be able 10 lell
if you a re o'.... doing Ihe tin,.. or the i" le,,~ily of exerci.,., by whelher
22fj

you feel energized or exhausted one hour after you awaken in the morn-
ing A gene",l rule of thumb is at least 20 ""nutes to one hour of eXNcisc
per day All excreL&' is nOI equal, depending upon repelitions , wei1;ht, and
energy c , pend~'(l. So, adjust I he tiwc accordingly .

I'usili ..., Thin~i"f!

Positive thinking c reates a happy state "f mind. When npgalive Ihinking
creeps into your mOld, make a list of aetlons that you can do and/or a com-
mitnwnt to change "'ithin a sp<'Ci/ic, shon limeframe. If there are circum-
stanc"" that are not ",-iU,in your control and thel"(' is no action 10 take,
tllen focus 0'" something ciS(' that makcsyou feci good, A spedallimc wnh
sJ,,-'Cial f"-'<.>plt, in the pasl is a good placc to plant your rocu~. Our sen.,.,
"',,"'ories will read il y rt'Count Ihe story, and ",' h"n you add delail 10 that
",emory, it will en" ourage g(~)d feelings .

It is important to reju'-enate lloe body, nlind , and spiril by resting, which

creat"" a high·energy state that IS essential for focUS<'<1 tradin..:, You can
train your body to function on )<'SI! s)<'<'P and convince )-ouI>!Clf that it is all
you n""d, but you are borrowing on your ruture healtJl . You ,,~'ed at least
fie,'e" hours of sleep and "ig)'1 for "cry act i" e I"-"-'PI".

Being prepared boosts your level of self..,onfidence above all. There are
",-'",-ml stag"" of ocin.o; pr~JlarNl in your lrading career.

• Making !I,e co",mitment and starting to take action

• A~'ftuiring UIt· n<'Ct'8Sary "-",,,urertl, such as "'OIIl'Y , <'(lucation , and
ff}u i pm~nt
• C"mpl~tlng your IJlIsin~ss plan
• Trading real mon~y occaUS<' you have tested your results and you ha'"e
",'idencc that tI,ere IS a }"..:h probabl~ty of eami,,": a profit
, Impn-,,"in.o; your results through impro"in~ YOUJ""lf wnh coaching

Rdu"alio" "'ust co"Ouuously be a part of a trader's Ca",cr. TI'e "'ar-

ket.' and world event.. ,.,... always "hanging, and whil .. II l< imfJonallf to
have a good trading e-rlu~ali"n , wInners keep "P with wbat is happening.
TM Win,,", ', S(aU of Mind 227

When~v~r you inc."",,-"" your knowledge ailouf anytlting and e~l'and your
awareness, it ,,-ill give a hoost to how you feel abouf your S<'lf-wonh.
Otlter stages of prepamtion inelud<-:

• Making good uS{' of time: ThIs will make the dIfference in wheth.:-, or
1101 you I<'ill be on a faslcr track 10 SuCCl'SS. F.,'cryon .. has high. and
low.,-nergy (illWS ill Ihe day . lIigh,.. n.:-rgy fi"'e should be del,-gated It>
the lime you tratle. The winning Sfall' of min,] is a reak pl'rfunnance
stale. In this state yuu are less likely tn sabotagl' your effon.~.
• Maintaining organization; This helps to keep you as a trader focused
on ",on",nls of opportunity III tbe market. With organization, you al low
tlte spac.:- for opponumly to ft ounsh,
• lla"ing SUllponi~e l'Quipmen!. Using tll.:- oc..t cquip",.:-m and software
opn,ni,..es your R'Sul~~ an" will gi"e a IradN JellS o"erall sttc1!S.
• llU,-ing a nourishing envi""u"e"l : You IIt:ed Pt"Ollle who suppon you'
errnn and wlto h....st ynur mnrail' sn 11~~t if is msier ttl mainLain a win·
nl'r's min,l""L
• Hiring the best; Paying the be5t fo, the best keeJlS associates loyal and
committed to maintaining: a positi"" and producli"" en,-jronm.:-nL

I)lSC : II·I , n:.~ IS .\ (iIl'T

Ann was olle of the most IlOI>iti~e people I eVer m.'{. SI, .. was fonunate
ttl Ita"l' two loving pMenl< who had the pl'rfl'l't ~"'nbinatioll of dl«<;il'line,
joy, and lo"e to ral"" their ,bughter. \\~,e" Alln wa.~ lB, site lost her par·
em" ill a plane ~ra.sb , Ann mourned tI,em and continued to hono, them by
being tlte be51 site could be at wltatever site attempted to do. After S<'veral
.'ntr.:-prenl'unall-ndeavo"" Ann canle into tlt.:- tradi"-.ll world using It", di".
dp)inc skills amI made all tlte ril(ht cltokes. Y"", she ""as successful as on
a"erJge good trader, bUI wM nOI satisfied ....·illl ;).-erag,' good. She wa.~ M~
tennin",[ to hi' a mast.er traMr. \\~,e" I ~'~~che<! her, ! ,mw till' only missing
ingre<!ient was that she n""de<! to enhance her intuitive filter indicator tltat
site dId not kno"' she 1tad. Ann's dpcisioru; made hN a masWr lrader and
also ga'.,. Iter a "'('Uler's mind,

r ,\SSIO~ :\~ .. I·LRrOS.~

Passion and P'-"l>O'l<' cr<'atc tll.:- mOli"ation 10 do the Itard stuff required to
altain a goal. When a Irader is passio,tale aboul his trading, he is "'orc
likely 10 do IhillW< Ihal he did 1101 feel he was capahle of doing, "uch
as assuming risk, cOlwi""IIlj!: othlC'" to in,'esl III an ,dlCa or in l"m, and
",",Oil ,

[lob bart'ly p"-,,sed hL~ cL'I..<SeS in high schooL J Ie hatffl school Ihe way Ihe
school hau>d him, He was a rabble-rouser who influenced other shy kicts
to rebel from learning and school activities, XaturaUy, he did nO! lu",e Ihe
grad"" or the mtelltion for any kind of higher educmion, Bob's ",mhe. was
the ollly onc who belic>-... l Ihat ]'er booy ,,'ould e",-n(IIally succ .... d. When
she bt-~anle s"riously ill, flob becan'e a dirrerent p.-"",n , His ",,,Il'er was
(he "nly one wh" belie"''<l in ]'im, "'"' Hob was dc\en",ned (" make her r...-l
good by making liNler .:;hoic... ,
Elob U5('t/ his influence s kills to become a runner at the Chicago noard
of Trade and that is where he dISCovered his passion. He knew he had to
cam more money if he W"," gomg to l,eI" his mmhcr get the b""tllO&~iblc
care Soon, he con>'inced a trader to take him 0" "'" Ius apprentice , nob be·
Can'e obsessed wil h being (he bt-'S( (rader in the S&P pi' a"d, while he never
reachffl that goal, he was ~ur"ly one of the besL Through hi~ mother's in,
ftu .. nce, !lob became a mentor to school dlild,..,n, ' n.• UlIlng In them the
importance of finding purpose and passion in hfe,

1'1"': Klml'r ~1I\'nS"~ 1-

How you lnu.rl'ret life and your HI'erienees ~an make the differen~e lle,
Iween having a winner's life or a losers life The following a{(ributes make
for the right mindset;

• High ~"J.leeUt tion - p,..,pari"g ror all conling~ncies gives wi''''ers an

I'<lge l>eCau,*, they= I"".. likely to d,,'elJ on fear. Fear L~ the numller
one ingre<!ient in !,elf.!,at~){age.
• Overcomin" and learni n" from ad,'e rsit )'----g,ves you !I,e mind mus-
ck to handle dmw-{]owTls anti cI,an,o;<'!! in the markets, Winne", usually
enjoy the challenge of o"crcomin,o; adw",;ty l>N:allS(' they are calcu·
lated risk lakers. A wi""er willllnd and learn t h ~ teS';On alld e,yoy i( as
a reward.
• Followin g the hi gh road-makes winners elYoy the lea.%!.ravelffl
path. Seeking revenge or willing bad thmgs to mhe",. even irthey ha>'"
done you wrong, wasWS e nergy. lime, aad focus. Wmners wish their
The Win""r', S'a" of /.lind

enemy 'he best so they can mo"e on and make room for hke-minded
peopl~

\ .. \kO \ \'1) fiOOn !.IFF.

Ali lost hi~ paret\L~ when he was a t.... nager in an atla<:k on his village.
The last thing Ius father said 10 him was that forgiveness was the ans"'er
10 sal,'allon and happiness, A married couple visiting the ~lIddle East was
looking for a guide, All w"" lfi:omm~ndro because of his ability to speak
EngUsh and hIS fnendlin<'SS to lOurists, Airs winning pe"",,,ality captivated
ttw (;I,itdl,,,,,, cu"pl~ and I.hey "wiled him to tome r"r a visil lu thei r hume
in AmeriClI. Ali W(lS SO gralerul I'e did wll3lever he cuuld Itl n'lIke hinlSelf
us..ruL The c ouple was "" happy to have thl~joyful young man In their Jj"""
that they paid for his educallon. Eventually, Ali workPd at the man's firm
and became a money manllger.

I·' OC:LS

Pocus creal"" st.ales uf mind. Where yuu focus your allentiun day lind
night will have an i"'pa<~t on who and what you attrac.t. You should always
focus hy :

• Avoidl nll n ~ lIath'e o<e lf-talk : Repemion of the cUlTent stories that
conce rn yuu III thc pr("S("nt "nd ncgath'~ slOries of the past create
Sf"",,", A winner s mind foc""",, mo<stly Oil the moment of nuw

• Making" l>1lln rur life, J'H"r t rading, lind e a ch da)': This giv,", your
,wufl>lugic.al system a map to gUi,le you to your d~_~U,~~tio" and """k.~
out Il<,ssib,lities tl) ,,,ake yuur way ~asier .
• Choo~inll )'our words wi .... I)·: This makes the difference between
how you react to people and how they react toyou , Words ha~e power,
!low you speak about you"",lf and otheI>! says a lot about where your
focus is lind tlw uut""me you will altract in lire . F:very"ne has 4ualilies
(h31 people cau find raull w ;th, "';nne,,, focus un t.he goud 'l"ajjli~"S and
,'a1ue positive interac.tio)\ wit.h others.
• Attraclln 8 luck )' s ltuatl"ns : This is what "inners do on a regular
basis wldle li,;ng Il,eir lives, What makes winners lucky are the ehole..,.
they make, the people they associate with , the way they spend their
lim~, and all of \h~ od'~r st l"d\~gies, skills, and ]l("I>!Onal quahti~s thm I
ha"c out-lined in this ehapt~r,
 MOOEliNG TOP TRAD£RI

,\ P,\1'1I TO P,\SSIO~

When J~rry was a little boy, h,s fmh~ r boUJ!.ht him an daborme erector
""I thai h~ .... ally wa"t~d fu r hi,,'self. Ills falh~r ",~id to yuung Jerry Ihat ill
urdN fur a building tu be strung it had to hav~ a guud fuundatjun. Tuge!.!'er
they madl' plan,~ for hours to con8truct a wh(Jle ~ily. Jerry's falher u.'*'fIlhe
cU'L<tructi(Jn pn~1'<;1 as a n...taphor f(Jr li\'i"g a good life and hL~ S"" tox,k
the bail. Jerry iwcamp not only a successful trader but also a resl>ff\ed
analyst and trading teacher, Ills Ilrosperity cOllsciuusness was dup to;

• Rdng ge n ~ ro u ~: T1'al is, with his time, ~"~rgy, and "'o' ... y \0 others
and Iu him.,.,lf, a wi"nl'r l"U"ys the law or tilhing. It is thn>ugh bl'ing
g~ne",us that he leanl.~ to r....1 he can afr(J,,1 h> li"~ an afllu~nt life .
• Nelworking wIthou t expectatio n, A winner CIUOy!! """ice 10 others
because b~ is j(rnleful fur the blessings that be has fCCei,-ed, 1\' etwurk,
ing wilhuut expeclation ls wloat mak ..... a wi nner at whal he docs and
prt>\'id~'5 hi", with a ci rcle uf inc ...,d ibl" cu ll ~ague8.

( :0 \Ie:I ,L S 10 \'
Winners do nol nccffiSalily P<"'-- all uf the qualities and talents listed
abo,'p, "or d" they alwaY!! make aU of the righl elouie"", but Ihey usually
possess mos{ uf these qual Iii"" and {hey make mos{ of tl,e righl ehoiees, A
willners "Hnd produe{'!! a winneT'slif,', which '" m~asured not m,1y by Ihe
mun~y he ~al1\S, but also by Ihe quality of tI,e lif~ he leads. A Winner is one
whu has an ~ ' trau rd i nary life and ~roju~'s II'e process or cr~at j"g thai lir~.
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 Index

abU,tIe", 172 b<·U.fs , uam lninll, &5-G7

"",'V"'pli,,, mem . lUll l i "~ "II in;"I! iu, OJ, uias, uf ."tiourili<'. , HU
~ b l ~ U,iuklng, exe"' ...... foc. 161 _ 163
""(i,,,. biuk.!C" as <Ies,;")". 222-223
di ftkul l}' ,akl nll. 12 hl.n,e,7&--77
", ... riti"g. 52...(,,1 hl'KKI.ugar, :lI;
takin/!, 59 Woks, 41, 156
",-,nity. la"k of, 37 ix, ... du,,", 17&- 176
OO",i"';o" pric"', 127 in!ra<iiu!!, 1S2-1~
a d .... llaJ fu"c~ lon, low , 3t> 10"",,,,,,,,, """' .... , 151
""'","sit}" un-. e.... ";"II. W7-J\!S, Z28 lHW llC8S Ilia", 12'J
afr".:! eOUlp iNinR, 210
,'ust, 173
uto wlou, 113 capital, misiuR. 2OS--:109
.~II .~W"l Schmit/" IW ~.,. in g. 8

All.", D",;<I, 58 <';anoegh>, AJ'~"'w , 2'20

a lle<gi ... 37 ,-haug'"
a"alysis, <122 aUrn]ll , I Il-l l ~
,,"a lytil\~, ower, 22 intife, l 73
anger, G-{; singl~<l.y, l 3li--l.tO
llI\ ~lel)', 57-61 .. r.'~~i~s fo.- n",kiu..:, 00-91
....'nun"."'... IS-IY <.;hicagu lloanl Options l':~,'ha'\gI·.
appearance, ~ -6 ,~

A"n8l"'''II, [ .. ",,.,. m7 ,>hok<'8, 3--1

an , 152 .M lug up, loa.-lO,1
"""'t.~, h..ti n ~, !13 in~ ", a.<i n s ",omentum of, 107
Alld,Hid MOMMy, 5S ",,,klnll, IO?
alla('ks, 7~77 ,-h",,.iug ...""L... 229
'-ullLr,ab~ l !y {u coad" lra""r',., IX
au,horiti .. , ]" "judk ... "nd , 119 ~omr<>r1 w n~. paIn. 90
CO,,"oniUH""t. """"""i H ~, 168
bad 1\""" , 39 ~om"'wtk"'i"". 126
Wtl. (U"'ing illtu g<><><l, 10&--100 co,n,nnnit},. 7--S
balan,,", ,',eating, 1S2 "0001",,11Iou , m
 IZI--1;Z1
',", '"'I"'" c ~'~"I J" P~JJd '!I1""'J
HI ""'lW~'U .(IlW ~J
II 'J" .•MJ .... n ' ! ~J
C;;-U: "'l'dU'~ ''''~''' .'mll~J
oc 'uo_"",""
el"l 'J" ....'!pnf"-'<1 ·Oll ..... X"
I ~ 'ji"l!iJJ.'u,
7,g ·~np,," u""' x .>- ....
!]!~Il 'J" ~''''1
w--Z9 'lJ\'ilf1'.'1J
>,'u•• ".Jdx"
S;;;; "IJIl'1 ''"'''!lm:..''''.
W '.o ,,!~1" \ 1'"
!C'JO ~ ~
9ZZ~ZZ ' i>S'[,lJ.X"
a~IC '''1m "1' 0, " ~"'!ldd"~d
1.1--91 ''''.MIJ "I .,....." .... lJ\'I"I'''"X"
Llil " ""~ I~ '""" 1"" 3
;;1'1 'Sil\"~'ldld"
I'""C '1""'''''...::1
HI""9'JI 'lIl'].lrudw!
)u""" ,"" ~ 'u,
9l: '''''''"1'''' .QU.,,,.
96<--<)6< 'COO 'Ut '.QU."".
9;; 1 'Jo ""Iru '"""_'""'1"'.
WI -I.I"I 'P"I'" ~1'I'n"
0S-t'S '''']l.~.U
1:9 'lJ\'~\lI'U.'1)1
t'J-C'J '''!~O' ~mll'm"l
1:9 ' 11\""lJ\, !l~ .... '
f!-<J 'S'""jO)\U",
~ •...'nR)jdu '''"',.''' j"'OO!l"W'
SI-! 1 "'..'I,,","d I"U"'jO)""
61 'peol''''o l",oollOw.
ZOO '<! 1 ·'OOnO.'"p,'
\16 1 '","",mil 'u''''lIYj
IQI ,",, ,,.,,,,,.-..,"
1>1 '~"!a '1"""~13
91 I '"le nh"l'.'" '''I''I)()U' 4re"
Le ' .><t! ~rup
12 '~.o!>I u" I'
~ ' ~u]lP
l(;1-ilS1 'TlllJ a
:<JONI
g- I' '..,....1'
~)I-S<J I '9')1 '-.., ""!,.,,,,eJ
!)91~1 ' .ru'~Uj"JO.'
"'-" ""'1'
1;1-1.9 'p ~"'p
1t 'd" j"W'(}j "'"I' """I)
re~,
"""IXU ~ "",uouu"J"'" '~'"Jl" O"!""'fI
91:[ '1iZ 1 'Jj,,!d"I"'"'I'
1.6< '1JJl! SO
.un d j.",1I'
9S I ---<;'8 I 'so " ",lied '~" ItU."",'lP
~ '"" .\'li"lO'~ 'JLUISJ11
~ '!I"il 'uojf/lMll d>p
I.!--il! '''""'''.)'''"''.)1>1'
9! --<)! '0' p...... ' P"~J>P
(;tl""1U' l 'I'U,"""'U\l)
til '1"'01"''''
Itl--{)I- I 'W '~"PI"'"
''''']"'''''(1
OO I '~'''.l'on.! U"'!lf1
I I "1OJl."'l-'.><1
'il"" r_"'"" .....~"'J 1,,",'UI'~'
LL""'JL ''''''''1'1-'''
9! 1--<)1. I ' "OO[),uoq '"'''''''
Cli '",,;o.)()J ,I . -'1' .....'
fIIiHlL ' 0 ) sjj"!I ""'J ~U\""
£S-W ""J ,Ill"",,..
.\)~ ~.u lJ\m~"....
l'I'L'9 " 01"'' ''''''
I.!. --ilL 'ump,u,o.,
~ '~""""IJ" J.~J '1"'1 ,,0.'
[
CLl-'lL 1 " " !,,,,.>jinp .0,1.,
91. ',u'Vqu" .).'!1-""I>""'"
;;;:z 'JI;>O jlU!-,,,"b,,,,-,
~'£ l 'J" ~~1![
!;;.;;~);;Z '''-'''''1''1'''''
I?' I--{)"I
"I'i'" ~"'." '>( .'!""'I' '", "",d,u",
~
'liu!,,"p••, 'd,u"I"_' ~u\u"''Td''''''
96- 1.6 'lJ\'I'UJoJ''''m
!lII-iI6 'lin" '''I'"''
96--<){1 'Jo l'IO-'
Hl-1)6 "''''''!<"l~'''o.'
t-t;Z
Indo:

f'''las I0'S, 166-161 gu)danc,", l't'Ce)'i"R, 1~

,ies.;ril>n'g, l{;8 gn",. I9f... I9(;
dre .. n" ,,,., 166, 16S---169
f,'arlul t:""~". 68 Hanun. Paul. 187
f"...", 25. 61-iH . 121-1 Z3 1I.lIg",w,31
INting RO of, 59-(;1 II.~~)' 1n<H,key, 111_ 178

off.Hn,", 121-122 bttv"'ing, 17S---11l!

r.... lh,g>. 81-82 l",alU, "",u.s, 151
b lockil'g,82-83 1"" I'h
tIe. Hnll wi,h negatiw, 8.:l----6-S buildinR, 136
fi,~l(m . 162 <oaring f((r. 12\1
IW,Unj! b""k. 132. 13,{ passl"n for, 2'l3----2'l,\
rutering OlOfko. 80 h~an, lli &-l9(;
~rst step, ,ratlin!\. W1 help, 53,61
r"" .... 112. 2'29 hl!.11 t'xpee'UIIlou. 228
follo." ,h' vugh, roilnn' \0, -16 IIlgh ",,,I, foil" •.-ing, 22S--2W
r<>Od, 225 history , 151
r",to<-s, ~ I .lco l l((, 100 hupclo.',."lt'SS. 14 1
rtank!in, Uelljolllin, HIS
r"",ziug. "",I."" , 15- 18 imag~ . lInagin in ~ ne",. 5:'1
frlend,61 i,,, ORin a!"-,,,
fnll,time. I20-121 113."';'", a nd, 223
!"! "-'" i'illg OS reali'y, 215---216
ga\l\e. ((If. 16 iml""'illg, trading, 7 ~ _ 7&
Gehrig. (.....,. 100 int",'''Ii,'"s. as n''''arcls. -I<J---I l
g.,'ting bad , I32- 135 inC'o",. """"-'t', 127_1i!8
GeIli~1J T/, i"ll" l)v,,~, 111. ,1)'( qf in<'QIlSistt'IIe)', ",a.,..1S '0'. 32---1l3
SI)~» , F,""" I'roo"c!iriIM , iufo",,",iou, ISS
~ i"W,'{lk"l . ",'(n'l . Wl-l\12
O~ I[...-curl,)', f"" 1m..:> of. 12
big, 161 _ 1f.1 iu",,,hilit)',13
l'l\las~' as, 167 i"' ~ n,silY, of falnosy. 168
pla>nllltg,102 iuten"oll, 188
",dennIIlR. ~l lu!ro"ert, 39
,~w:uJ •. 162_ 163 iutui,iw ""tlu!.': sigllal, "",.. loplJ\~,
",'lIillg, 161 - 162 211-212
_ellie , 173 lu,'<>h..,me"t , 8
"'ralt'gk. Iv, . 100---161 Inil\il, II'ashil\/II<>I" 23--24
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